


After the Accelerator

by AGDoren



Series: After the Accelerator [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bisexual Iris West, Dubious Medical Science, Dubious Science, Earth-17, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Masturbation, Metahumans, Non-Canon Relationship, Romance, uncut Barry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2018-09-17 03:47:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 62,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9302792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGDoren/pseuds/AGDoren
Summary: When Harrison Well's particle accelerator threw the world into chaos Tyrant Thawne emerged to restore order to Central City and rule from Thawne Tower, but at what price? Queen, courtesan, concubine, Iris West struggles to survive the politics in Thawne Tower and make a better life for those she loves. Everything changes when a powerful, new speedster arrives with secret that could change the balance of power in Central City forever.





	1. Fucking Meta-Humans

**Author's Note:**

> Part I: The Parched Earth

It was a nice apartment, two floors down from the pent house, eight rooms, split level, kitchen and dining just off the living room. Two bedrooms, one and a half baths, huge bay windows. A long hallway which meant airflow and a sense of space, old fashioned built-in shelves, cabinet, even a small dresser.  

She'd ordered just a few necessities brought up from storage; Mr. Allen seemed the type to want to furnish his own space.

Iris sipped her drink, local moonshine mixed with maple sweetened tea.  A funky drink, but not bad. She reviewed her to-do list for Allen's apartment, everything was checked off. When a quick scan of her email didn't reveal anything urgent she put her feet up and opened her messenger.

Iris opened the Central City bookkeeper chat and burst into laughter at what she saw.

Felicity holding Iris' two year-old Nessa and the two of them, plus her kitchen smeared with green peas, caption:

_When you're a five year-old at heart and let your two year-old niece bait you into a food fight while babysitting._

Iris sent quick text to the other woman:

'You're going to clean that up,right Fe'?'

'Nessa and I are having a bath.'

'Fe?'

'Ofc.' :P 'What kind of Titi would I be if I just left a mess in the kitchen.'

'The kind that spent an afternoon doing finger paints and left that for days'

She got a string of apologetic emojis in response with promises to clean up all the green peas in the kitchen.

Iris finished her cold toddy and poured another; she'd pumped plenty of milk for Nessa earlier that day.

Drink in hand she pushed away from the dining table and went to the window.

Once before the Accelerator, she and Wally had watched a special about energy on ABC or perhaps it was NBC. China had featured prominently with the camera panning on one of its cities lighting up in a display of color that rivaled the excess of early neon era.

Wally had gone on and on about energy and wattage and fuel and thrust, but she'd been struck by the simplicity of it, energy, for free, more or less, God-given from the most powerful and abundant source they knew. Pouring down on them daily and somehow it seemed better to pour resources into digging holes in the ground rather than put out a barrel to catch rain.

She'd despaired of ever seeing an American city lit like that and yet…

In the dark of night Central City spread out before her as if from days of old. Glowing, lit by solar batteries that spent the day soaking up the sun's energy and bulbs stolen, scavenged from warehouses where they'd been collecting dust and more recently acquired through trade with a city from the south. Street corners, buildings, windows twinkling with lights that rivaled the starry sky, soft white, warm yellows, but also blues, pinks and even purples. Five years ago the world had gone dark, but tonight Central City glowed a rival for the old world, with Thawne Tower looming over it all.

Iris took a sip of her drink the  moonshine burned down her throat, maple sweetened tea doing little to mellow the sting of untempered spirits. She sighed. They could light up a city, but a liquor that tasted like something other than rocket fuel was too much to ask for, at least it got the job done.

Her cell phone chirped, Eobard's ringtone. She took another long gulp of her drink before answering.

"Everything in order?"

"Yes right down to the champagne."

"Well done Iris, we'll be there shortly, there'll be seven of us including Allen."

The call ended and Iris slipped her cell phone back into it's holster.

She made her way to the living room, heels clicking on the hardwood floors, sound echoing off the bare walls. She'd spent a little time here setting up a sofa, tv -some things were being broadcast, it was all reruns of course, there were no new shows or movies for that matter,  but still it was fun, mindless entertainment and there were dvds to watch, videos or digital. She'd also gotten a laptop, he'd need that. A seven foot high  bookcase and books, she had a feeling Mr. Allen would want that, he seemed the brainy, nerdy type.

Iris went to the laptop and reviewed the list of songs she downloaded. It was a little harder to gauge a complete stranger's musical taste, musical interest were so personal, so intimate and the truth was Mr. Allen was a complete stranger- _wasn't he?_

"Fucking meta-humans." Her shoulders rose as she muttered the words.

Just like that he outranked her. Three weeks ago Allen had begged her for a job, a normal human man, half starved with no more than the clothes on his back and the lint in his pockets. _She'd_ been working here for five years and her apartment was half the size of his. Sure she was closer to Eobard, but that was for his convenience.

It wouldn't be long before they'd be here and Eobard liked her presentable. Iris got her make-up bag from her briefcase and went to the bathroom mirror to check her reflection.

Short black blazer with satin lapels over a black lace dress, with black ankle strap heels- Mr. Thawne liked those, he liked the red lip too. Her dark hair was swept to one side to show off fat black pearls. She painted shiny gloss over her red lip and touched up her blush so that the red faily glowed against her dark-skin. At she she looked good. At the sound of laughter loud laughter in the hall Iris hurriedly put her make-up away and downed her drink in one long swallow. She hurried back to the living room and put her briefcase out of sight.

For a moment the young woman considered where best to position herself before finally choosing to stand by the sofa and face the door. She heard the sound of the key in the lock and put on her brightest, hostess smile.

Allen was the first one through the door. He walked into the apartment laughing at something one of the other meta-humans said. His forest green eyes met hers. His laughter stopped, her hostess smile faltered. Iris felt her anger bubble just below the surface and forced it down. If she had learned anything during her time at Thawne Tower it was to not let her emotions get the better of her.

"Mr. Allen," she gestured toward the rest of the apartment mimicking the car show models of the aughts, hostess smile forced into place. "Welcome to your new home."

They watched Barry zip around the apartment exclaiming over the books --he hadn't seen this many in a long time. The computer, the tv-- all of it was solar powered? The bedrooms, _two bedrooms!_ And the view? _What a view!_

The rest piled in as Barry zipped around his apartment. Iris scanned the group and her heart sank metas, each and every one,  Hunter, LaShawn, Danton, Tony, and Bette and of course Thanwe and Allen. All dressed in the same black slacks and suit jacket, white shirt and thin tie, male and female alike.

"This is a amazing! Mr. Thawne." Barry declared.

Eobard smiled, his blue eyes bright.

"Iris is the one who got this together for you, thank her."

"Of course," Barry turned to her now. "Thank you Ms. West."

"It's nothing just doing my job. I can take you to the stores if you like tomorrow, help you finish getting settled."

"Yeah Iris is gonna take good care of you Barry," Eobard said.

"Yeah," Hunter said with a leer and Iris told herself to ignore the tall, blonde speedster.

"How about the champagne, Iris?" Eobard asked.

"Of course." Somehow she forced a smile and went to the bar where she'd put the champagne on ice.

She did a quick head count, eight including herself.

Pleased she'd had a dozen flutes brought up, Iris popped the cork on the champagne and poured their glasses. Once she got the tray together she made her way to crowd most of whom were still in the foyer. When everyone had a glass Eobard insisted on a toast.

"To Barry Allen," Eobard held up his glass. "The newest member of our little family here in Central City. May your stay be long and mutually beneficial."

Glasses were clinked, champagne sipped and the group broke into little knots. Barry talking with Hunter about how to improve speed. That meat-head Tony telling yet another story about himself to Eobard, Danton and Bette who nodded indulgently. Only she stood apart, looking out the window, listening carefully to everything that was said as she watched the glowing lights of Central City.

Shawna was by her side suddenly, only clue a warm shimmer in the air. For a moment the two women looked out the window, sipping their champagne in silence, and Iris rested her free hand on the windowsill.

"How was your trip?"

"It was good. Had a little trouble with a pack of meta wolves-"

"Are you ok?" She looked at the taller woman with concern and Shawna smiled down at her.

"I'm fine, I handled it, by myself, used their psychokinetic energy against them."

"You're getting good."

"Thanks."

She let eyes slide over Shawna's profile, her head capped with riot of corkscrew spirals, big dark baby doll eyes moving over the city lights, plump lips gleaming with a dark purple lipstick that contrasted her light complexion. She let her eyes linger a moment on the other woman's swanlike neck, her full, impossible to hide bust.

"I heard about Pete, I'm sorry."

Iris turned her attention back the window, the city light, took a swallow of her champagne.

"Thank you."

They lapsed into silence, both looking out into the night. After a moment she felt LaShawn's hand settled besides hers on the windowsill.

"I saw your dad."

"How was he?"

"He seemed well. Still running his little hood. Said to tell you he loves you, be careful and to visit soon, with his granddaughter."

"Yeah." She smiled just a little as she said it preferring thoughts of her family to Pete.

There had been a point when Wally and her father would not accept Nessa. But then Nessa was the indisputable of evidence of reality both men wanted to ignore, their failure brought to life with an adorable giggle and bright blue eyes.

"What do you think about Allen? He seems like a good guy."

"He's a selfish, arrogant, ass, just like every other meta-human." Iris whispered the words in a low hiss. "No offense."

"None taken, most are."

Shawna smiled down at her now and Iris felt the other woman's soft, slender fingers closing around her hand.

"I missed you." Shawna whispered the words and Iris felt a pleasant flutter as she returned the smile.

"You should be mingling with the others."

A frown drew the other woman's brows together.

"I missed you too."

Shawna gave her hand a squeeze and disappeared, reappearing a moment later besides Eobard.

She should join them. She wasn't a maid. Thawne had come to value her opinion and her connections over the years. Humans in Central City would talk to her when they wouldn't talk to any of his cronies. _She should join them,_ but instead she stood at the window sipping her champagne while ignoring the way Hunter leered at her.

Just then raucous male laughter rang through the apartment. Iris rolled her eyes and downed the last of her champagne.

"Iris." Thawne held out his hand as he called her over.

She joined the three speedsters with a smile as Eobard took her hand giving it a quick squeeze before settling his hand in the small of her back. All three men towered over her.

"Barry's pretty tired. We're gonna let him get cleaned up and settled."

"Good work today man."

Barry exchanged a high five with Hunter and then Eobard did one of those ass-hole things that she hated him for. The hand in the small of her back pushed her forward and she stumbled right into Barry Allen's grasp.

"She's all yours Allen."

"You two have a good night."

The moment the door shut Iris jerked upright and out of Mr. Allen's grasp. Unfortunately between being tipsy and wearing high heels she wobbled and nearly lost her balance a second time. The only thing keeping her upright, was Mr. Allen's grasp around her waist.

He may have looked like a beanpole, but she could feel cautious strength in his grasp, fucking speedsters.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said the words through gritted teeth, the concern in his voice grated.

"Here," he nudged her toward the sofa. "Sit."

He had her settled before she could blink. If he hadn't used his speed to maneuver her she might have thanked him.

Allen sat down on the far end of the couch, legs together, hands pressed between his knees.

 _Square,_ Iris thought to herself. She could practically see him in a sweater, plaid shirt, bow tie and glasses.

"Iris I didn't ask him to ugh-" he swallowed. "I didn't ask."

"That's Ms. West, Mr. Allen and you didn't have to, he watches everything. Besides the only reason meta-humans come to Central City is so they join Eobard Thawne's organization, do what they want, live how they want and take what they want."

"That's not why I came here."

Iris snorted, she couldn't bring herself to shuck and jive right now, reassure him that he was different from the other meta-humans, she was too drunk and too pissed.

_"Well have I got news for you buddy. It doesn't really matter what you want."_

She straightened up determined to do her job. She wasn't going to let some awkward, speedster, nerd make this any harder than it needed to be. Iris shifted so that she was facing him, she reached out one hand to stroke his knee and leaned in close enough to whisper.

"You do want it," she spoke in honeyed tones. "And you don't have to ask. Eobard notices everything and he must have noticed you noticing me or I wouldn't be here right now."

"Look at me."

He did as commanded, fair skin flushed, lips parted ever so slightly.

"I'm a beautiful woman, its ok to want me and you've done well you deserve a reward."

He licked his lips and swallowed in anticipation. Iris smiled.

Pressing her advantage she climbed into his lap, straddling his slim hips. She focused her gaze on his mouth, it was better not to make eye contact now and settled her hands on his abdomen. The muscles beneath her hands were firm and solid, perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"But, but- What about what you want Iris?"

Iris  looked down at her hands, brown against his crisp white shirt. Rather than answer she pulled his shirt free of his pants and slid her hands up over smooth, warm skin.

"Mhmm," she pushed up against him. "You're really strong." She smiled as if it were the sexist thing in the world.

"Maybe, but," his hands closed around her wrist. "Tell me what you want Iris, the truth."

_Normally she was really good at this, normally they didn't offer any genuine objection. To walk away from you and this stupid fucking city. To make it so that god damned particle accelerator never switched on. To make so that my brother's stupid rebellion never happened. To fuck you til' you come so I can get some sleep._

"Well one thing is obvious, you don't want to be here."

_Did he sound disappointed?_

As gently as he could, he pushed her out of his lap and stood.

"I actually do need a shower, so you can leave."

And then doing what speedsters do best, he zipped down the hall in a blur of red.

"It's not so simple Mr. Allen." Iris muttered to herself as she unzipped her dress. _Perhaps he prefered red to black._

* * *

 

For a speedster Mr. Allen took a helluva a long time in the shower. She nearly dozed off before hearing the creak of the bathroom door opening. Those hinges would have to be oiled. He went first to the living room --probably checking to see if she'd gone-- before heading back toward the bedroom.

She'd had some time to decide how she wanted to present herself. Iris moved a pillow to the foot of the bed and laid down hugging it to her chest so that she faced the door. She propped her head up with one hand and smiled her most dazzling.

Barry opened the door and Iris had to resist laughing as both his jaw and the towel he'd been holding around his waist dropped. She took a moment to check him out. He was lean, but muscular, a dusting of dark hair covered his chest and made a faint trail over muscled abs that lead straight down to his uncircumcised dick. Her interest piqued immediately, she'd seen a few and he was a good size. Hunter would be jealous.

"How very European of your parents."

Barry sputtered at her and bent to retrieve his towel.

"Don't." Iris sat up and he looked up staring as she got to her feet wearing nothing, but a red lace bra and matching panties.

He straightened up as she stood. His eyes swept over her, green going dark with desire. She smiled as they flicked to the bed and back to her again. She covered the few feet between them with slow, sensuous steps.

"What-" He swallowed. "What.."

"I'm here for you Barry." She pitched her voice low and soft.

The towel dropped to the floor, forgotten as she stepped into his space. Iris studied his flushed face, his eyes tracking her every movement and felt a pleasant tingle in her stomach. He was completely enthralled by her.

"Barry," she kept her voice soft, low and he leaned toward her as if drawn by a magnet. His hands found her hips and pulled her close, his dick, hard and hot pressing against her abdomen. She felt a reflexive, anticipatory twitch in her clit, regardless of who they were speedsters were always the best lay.

Barry drew closer to her, eyelids fluttering shut in anticipation. He paused, parted lips less than an inch from hers for just a moment as if to breath her in.

_Was it possible that he wanted her more than any other man ever had?_

Iris closed her eyes to savor the first brush of his lips against hers.

That gentle brush of his lips rapidly turned into something fierce and passionate as hot honeyed feelings poured through her. She had her arms up around his neck and was running her fingers through his hair as the hands on her hips slid down to knead the flesh of her ass.

Good, good, she liked-

"Stop!"

Barry was pushing her back, away toward the bed and had pajama pants on before she knew he'd moved.

"What are you doing?"

"You are beautiful and I do want you-"

"-Then what is the problem?" She started towards him again.

"-No. I'm not the type of man to buy a woman that doesn't want to be bought or take one as a pat on the back for a job well done." He took a long look at her and shook his head. "Meta-humans have the authority right?"

She nodded.

"I guess you probably aren't supposed to go back to your apartment tonight. So you sleep here. I'll take the couch. Don't come onto me again or I'll sleep somewhere else and let the gossip tell Mr. Thawne what it wants."

Allen didn't bother to run away this time. He turned and walked out of the room pulling the door shut, leaving a stunned, confused Iris to fall back on the bed.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking about and working on this fic for some time. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and will leave lots of comments. This fic will venture into sensitive territory for some warnings will be updated accordingly. Finally I realize current fandom trends are against dark!fic. I'd be happy discuss why I disagree with this trend with anyone looking to actually discuss and understand why I disagree.


	2. Submit to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we get a glimpse of Iris' life in Thawne Tower and her relationship with Eobard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First I want to just say a quick thank you to everyone that took the time to leave a comment long or short. Shout out the wonderful betas who read and edited this fic for me. Also be on the look-out for the Reservoir Dogs nod.

Barry sped into his bedroom and out again, making certain to be fast enough and quiet enough that he didn't disturb the woman sleeping in his bed. He didn't want her to try and seduce him again. The truth was he didn't know how many more times he could tell her no.

Not for the first time did he consider leaving Central City, but even as he had that thought he pulled a T-bar, as Thawne called them, from a cabinet stocked full. Three thousand calories— enough to put a dent in the ten thousand calories your average speedster needed to consume in a day. Humans didn't realize, but  speedsters and presumably most metahumans starved to death, fast. If Barry had to guess he'd say fifteen days without food would be a enough to do him in. Compare that to the twenty-eight days a healthy human would last without food.

More importantly though he needed allies, Central City was the best place to find them. Barry turned on the tap for a glass of water and sighed, water on tap again, reliable clean water on tap. In the B.P. era tap water hadn't even been a thought in most American cities, but five years A.P. one never knew what they would get. Water glass full he took a bite T-bar and consumed the dense, sticky, bland food in a few speedy bites washing each one down with a swig of water. When the bar was eaten he washed his hands and went to the full length mirror that had been hung in the hall.

Slick black pants, black jacket, white shirt, long thin tie, sunglasses; Barry shook his head. He looked like he was getting ready for a diamond heist. He started toward the door, freezing as he remembered his cell phone.

 _The people of Central City had cell phones, all kinds of cell phones. Iphones, Androids, at &t, sprint, verizon, etc... _ all hacked and linked into some network Mr.Thawne had built. As a direct employee of The Tower he was supposed to have it at all times. _The Tower..._ It had an ominous ring to it. Fiction was... well fiction, but how many books had he read about people having to go on dangerous quests or journeys to some stark, enigmatic tower pointing toward the sky and casting a long shadow over the land. 

Barry told himself to stop daydreaming and zipped around his apartment in a search of his phone and sighed as he realized he must have sat the phone down in his bedroom when he'd gotten his clothes.

"Damn it!" He swore under his breath. He'd be fast-

Barry ran into his room, grabbed his phone and tripped over something red that had been discarded on the floor. He'd picked it up before he realized it was the red, lace panties that Iris had been wearing the night before.

He dropped them as if they'd burnt his hands and his cheeks flushed scarlet the memory of her in his bed. With slow, deliberation he got to his feet, telling himself not to look. He looked and sighed.

She didn't sleep beautifully; she slept comfortably. Long bronze limbs sprawled in his red sheets, dark hair in one long braid stretched across a satin pillowcase. Her face was calm, relaxed in sleep none of the emotion he'd seen last night present, no anger, no forced smile, no desire.

He felt himself relaxing as he gazed down at her, recalling the silken feel of her warm, dark, skin under his fingertips, the heated softness of her plush lips under his...He could probably shake her awake now, crawl into bed with her and she would not object. He'd be late, but Hunter and Mr. Thawne would only share leering schoolboy grins over it.

But just as easily as he could recall his desire from the night before so to could he remember her anger. He owed her for the favor she'd done him when he'd first come to Central City by finding him a job.

Taking her just because he could was no repayment. Barry clenched his hands and zipped out of the room before he changed his mind.

* * *

 

"You're hungover."

Iris pushed her sunglasses down and glared at the woman lounging on her sofa.

"Where's Nessa?"

"With Teetee Fe'. Felicity will bring her over as soon as they're done getting dressed."

Iris considered a moment. She had plenty of work to do and just a bit of a headache. She wanted to see her daughter, but if Fe' didn't mind maybe she could keep her until lunch. Iris sent a quick text to other woman and was relieved to get a thumbs up.

Iris took off her jacket and shoes. Hanging the former on a hook besides the door and kicking her shoes into a closet stuffed with umbrellas, jackets, scarves, and tiny galoshes and shoes.

Her keys went on a hook by the door, sunglasses on a catch-all table in the foyer along with her briefcase and purse. Where her steps had echoed in Barry's apartment Iris' feet came down in thick, plush rugs. She took a deep breath,enjoying air freshened by growing things. She'd learned to care for plants in the last four years. They were everywhere in her apartment. Geraniums in the living room blooming in pink, white and orange, a great silver Jade with its succulent leaves, her snake plant with leaves like deadly swords. Herbs hung in the kitchen. Her home was alive with plant, the soft, sweet smell of damp earth, and the warm fragrance of herbs like sage, thyme and rosemary.  

"Look at those shoulders, practically up around the ears."

Iris started and turned to see Linda standing in the archway of the living room.

"Someone did not have a satisfying night."

Iris rolled her eyes.

"Linda I have a headache. If you don't have a message from Wally or coffee-"

"Right here Canky Jane." Linda held out a steaming mug.

"God." Iris lifted the mug to her nose inhaling the rich, beguiling scent of her favorite beverage. "Christina is an angel."

"She knew you'd be looking for your morning fix."

Iris took deep swallow and hummed with pleasure as heavenly warmth spread through her. Fix was right. The first year after the accident she'd learned the hard way that caffeine was a drug like any other. There were miraculous people not too far south growing both sugar and coffee, Central City had worked out trade with them.  A/N

"What you need is water."

"Coffee is made with water."

Linda shook her head and went back into the living room to settle on the couch. Iris joined her collapsing into the soft cushions of her rich, blue, velvet couch. Thawne had had these brought to her. She hadn't wanted black, with a hope of decorating her living room primarily in pink and black. But ended up with soft blue velvet the color of the sky and so she had done her living room up like a warm summer day.

"How was your visit with Wally?"

A pink tinge flushed Linda's cheeks and Iris smiled.

"So it was a good visit?"

"Do you think Eobard would let us get married?"

Iris’ eyes widened. She hadn't realized things had gotten so serious between the pair.

"I- Why do you ask me?"

"You know him better than any of us?"

Iris sipped her coffee. She was always a bit uncomfortable with the way people had herself and Eobard Thawne linked in their minds. She had been with him almost since he'd arrived in Central City, before any of the other bookkeepers and most of the meta-humans, but there was a lot she didn't know about him or understand. Like his freaky-good knowledge of computers or software programming, or the fact that he never said where he was from or talked about his childhood, and his speed the way he'd talked about even right after the explosion. He'd talked about speed and powers and meta-humans as if he'd known of them for years not a few months. He was the first person to even use the term meta-humans as far as Iris knew. And then there was his secret room.

She had ideas that explained the mystery, even some evidence, but nothing she cared to share with anyone yet.

"Iris?"

"Sorry Linda got lost in my own thoughts for a second. He's very pleased with both of you and he let Gwen do it. She married one of his meta-humans, but not now. Not while we're down two bookkeepers."

Linda rolled her eyes,"Bookkeepers."

"I did not come up with that title."

Iris set her mug on the coffee table and made her way to the bathroom. She settled on the toilet without bothering to shut the door, Linda had seen it all before, probably would again.

"What's the new speedster like?"

Of course they were all curious and all their text messages were recorded.

"So now we get to the real reason you're here."

"Don't trip, besides we'll all have to work with him at some time in one way or another. He seems sweet."

Iris rolled her eyes.

"None of these metahumans are sweet Linda."

She finished up on the toilet and washed her hands.

"Your brother-"

"-There is an exception to every rule and don't get it twisted, Wally can be a dick too under the right circumstances."

Linda frowned. Iris twisted her braid up on her hair and put on a shower cap.

"Anything going on that I should know about?"

"Pete's sister was looking for you."

She sighed and met Linda's eyes. Pete had needed a job and Iris had gotten him one.

"Thanks."

"You can't keep avoiding her,"Linda said.

"At least Eobard took care of that guy."

"Yeah, like a true pimp." There was bitterness in Linda's voice as she spoke.

"Careful, you sound like me."

"Truth is truth." The other woman said with a shrug.

"Help me with my zipper."

Linda came into the bathroom and tugged loose a few strands of hair before unzipping her.

"Thanks Linda."

"I'm worried about you." Linda's hands settled on her shoulders.

She'd been working for Eobard for nearly two years when a waifish, half starved Linda had turned up. If she'd come to Iris first she'd have steered the other woman away from the tower, but…

Linda's arms came round her waist and she pressed a plump, rounded cheek against her shoulder.

"You make this place bearable."

Iris rested her hands atop the other woman's.

"Thanks Linda."

She settled into the comfort of her friend's hug. She needed this. This friendly closeness, needed to be held and touched with nothing other than love and friendship.

The moment of comfort passed into that awkward discomfort of standing in one another's arms long enough for limits and feet to began to complain. The two women shifted apart.

"I'm gonna go back to work," Linda  said.

"Okay."

"You drink some water and less of this other stuff."

"Maybe."

Iris shrugged out of her dress as Linda shut the door.

As she got cleaned up for the day Iris considered everything on her plate. She decided not to tell Eobard about what had or _had_ not happened with Barry. She was helping him settle in for a full week, there would be time. There was Pete's sister Marissa, she'd have to say or do something about her at some point. Apparently she wasn't satisfied with the death of the metahuman who'd killed her brother.

Iris didn't know what else to offer her. Pete was way too young and too pretty to be working that close to Thawne. A month after sighting him the young man had been completely turnt, in two months he'd had a new job.

Pete had eaten it up. He was young enough that the poverty and chaos of the Metahuman era was a far sharper image in his mind than the corrupted democracy they'd lived in before. As much as Iris had at times hated the United States for its racism and sexism, she'd give just about anything to have that world and those values back.

Being a black woman had been difficult; being a human with a pretty face and a dream was worse. Or maybe it wasn't so different after all.

She told herself not to think about the sad trajectory of a family history that had placed her into a role that Ernestine Macon could step into without missing a beat.A/N

_What else needed doing?_

Mr. Allen needed to be settled, Pete's sister dealt with. There was that pot hole in the service road that needed filling. For some reason the construction crews hadn't gotten around to it.

She'd talk to Bertina and have their water ration cut by 25%. That would get their attention.

Central City didn't use money. Everyone got their share of the essentials like food, water, shelter and clothing.Credits were paid out for extras. Thawne decided which occupations got extras, but people in Central City were safe and secured for the most part. Eobard and his metahumans protected them from other metas, criminals bent on destruction as well as use their varied abilities to fill in where technology no longer could. Every speedster in the city had their cloudy day rotation in the power plant. If the metas got a greater share of everything-

-It was all very feudal, small government in it's truest form.

So the construction guild would get their water ration cut and when they asked Bertina about it, she'd say orders from the tower. It wouldn't take long to get that pot hole filled in then.

Satisfied with this plan, Iris took her time in the shower. Filing the heels of her feet, shaving her armpits smooth. She wasn't particularly hairy so she never shaved her legs. In the chaotic era of the metahumans, no one shaved or waxed their bush just kept it trim and tidy. Iris was no exception.

She did have perfumed skin cream, rose, locally made, not scavenged. Small, local businesses were slowly returning as people developed their own crafts, replace the dwindling supplies of mass market goods.

Her position afforded priority on any and all goods produced in Central City. A year's worth of Rose, as well as Starfighter Lily, soap, lotion and a rich heavy skin cream sat in her closet.

In a world without antibiotics skin care was more than cosmetic. Dry irritated skin was more vulnerable to injury and infection. Skin care education had become a major public service campaign after a rash of bacterial infections in the skin itself.  An infection in the skin might not be deadly, but combine it with pneumonia or some other illness that compromised the immune system and you suddenly had a ticking time bomb that could attack the entire body after sitting in the skin as only a minor annoyance for year.

Shower finished, Iris turned off the water and stepped onto her bathroom matt. She patted her skin dry and took her time smoothing that rose scented cream over her limbs, stomach, breast, just about everywhere.

Iris slipped on her cotton bathrobe, savoring the sweet fragrance hanging in the air and the feeling of clean skin in clean clothes. They would have to schedule a spa day soon, do facial masks, manis and pedis, trim each other's ends, keep the harem pretty.

Linda would do her touch-up; the former reporter had discovered she had a talent for hair and there seemed to be an endless supply of creamy crack unlike Felicity's preferred bleached blonde. She'd considered letting her hair grow out, but she had one of those hair types that didn't damage easily. Besides, as far as she knew, no one was manufacturing relaxers, once they were gone, they were.She may as well enjoy them while they lasted.

She gathered her clothes and headed to her bedroom to dress. She saw him through the open door before he saw her. Eobard sitting on the corner of her bed in gray slacks and a white shirt, that far away expression on his face.

She stood a moment just out of his line of sight.

He wasn't handsome with his now thinning blondish hair and faint freckles, but he was fit and strong and she could still recall a time when he had been charming.

He'd gotten her everything in her bedroom, the plants that sat in front of her windows, her books, he'd gone so far as to acquire black authors especially. He'd gotten the art on the walls, the lace curtains that protected her privacy. The settee that she liked to recline on while nursing Nessa and her great, comfortable bed. The bed that she sometimes shared with him.

Her anger from last night returned.

"Eobard." Iris pushed the bedroom door open as she spoke and strode in without looking at him.

"Good morning."

She dropped her things in the laundry hamper and went to the dresser.

"You're angry."

He was behind her as the words finished, vibrating fingers making gentle, soothing circles on tense shoulders. She bit back a pleased sigh.

_-"Will you submit to me?"-_

His hands worked their way up and down her back, teasing out points of tension running along her spine. He found a particularly tender knot in her shoulders and pinched it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Seems like that would hurt." His voice was soft with concern.

She kept silent refusing to give him anymore than she had to, even as the steady vibrations from his hands loosened the knotted ball of stress that had settled into her right shoulder.

_-"Will you submit to me?"-_

She was aware of him, larger than her, wider than her, stronger than her and faster. Smelling of coffee and mint and soap. The knot in her shoulders dissolved and Iris felt the gentle press of a kiss there.

"I have a present for you."

He always had his presents. She rolled her eyes and kept silent even as he tugged her to face the other side of her bedroom with gentle hands. There was an easel standing in the corner, a cloth draped over what she presumed to be a painting.

Iris feigned annoyance to cover her curiosity.

"Well." She asked crossing her arms.

"See for yourself."

When she made no move to do so he sighed and strode across the room.

"You're gonna thank me."

Iris gasped and fought a smile when he pulled the cloth down. It was a portrait of her and Nessa. They both wore soft pink dresses, Nessa was up on her shoulders, her two blondish afro puffs matching the fluffy white clouds in the summer sky behind them. The portrait must of have been based on a picture someone had taken with their phone, without her realizing. Mother and daughter did not look out at the camera, but gazed at one another with utter delight.

"When did you have…" Iris uttered the words before she could stop herself.

"I was looking at pictures from Gwen's wedding and knew this would be a perfect present." He was smiling now. Knowing that she was pleased in spite of herself. "I'd been wanting to have a portrait made of you and Nessa for a while."

He turned her to face him, then hands settling on her shoulders, thumbs stroking her clavicles.

_-"Will you submit to me?"-_

"You know I always think of you, of what you need, think of things to make you happy."

"You do?" She looked at him with pursed lips and narrowed eyes.

"Yes, every moment of these past five years."

It was a lie and they both knew it. There had been a time when she had been so desperate and afraid that she could pretend he meant what he said, that he would take care of her in spite of everything.

There was an intensity in his clear blue eyes and he slid one of his hands down to settle between her breast,  vibrating gently.

_-"Will you submit to me?"-_

She'd seen him hold that hand up like a knife and watched him push it through people's chest. She'd watched him choke the life out of people who made him angry.

There were times when she forgot how she'd come to Thawne Tower, times when she forgot the sound of Wally's breath rasping in his lungs. She looked up at Eobard. There was no sign of murderous rage in his expression. His gaze was tender, considering.

Times when she forgot she hated him.

_-"Will you submit to me?"_

The hand resting over her heart slid down to cup her breast and Iris inhaled sharply at the sweetness of it. The same vibrations that had eased her tender knotted shoulders, roused her and she could feel her nipple grow stiff under his palm. He wouldn't apologize for how he'd planned to use her last night, he didn't have to.

He had all the power. He'd simply add more gilding to her cage and sooner or later it would have to be enough.

_-"Will you submit to me?"_

He stroked a thumb across her nipple and leaned down to capture her lips with a kiss. She sighed and let him. It felt good, warm and insistent, but not demanding. The hand on her breast slid further down to splay over her abdomen,the vibrations seeming to ping directly into sensitive nerves, causing an anticipatory twitch in her clit.

_-"Will you submit to me?"_

She'd learned a long time ago that sometimes it was better to accept what was given. His hand slipped, lower fingertips brushing the matt of curls betwixt her thighs.

"Mommy!"

The shout rang through the apartment and Thawne lifted his head with a sigh.

"Back here sweetheart." Iris called to her daughter.

A moment later they heard the pound of toddler feet running down the hall. Nessa charged into the bedroom, her dark, reddish hair halo about her head.

"Hey pun'kin." Eobard crouched to catch their daughter as she burst into the bedroom. He caught her up in his hands and swung her up in the air, catching her as she squealed with delight. He tickled her little belly until she squirmed.

"Daddy tahp."

A moment later Nessa was straining toward her mother. Eobard handed her over and Nessa babbled at her parents in toddler speak that had the feel and flow of language, but was unintelligible to anyone other than her parents.

"Hey Iris, I didn't see your text- Oh." Felicity froze as she took in the scene in the bedroom.

"Come in Felicity," Eobard said. "It's fine."

"Morning guys." Felicity wore a dress and pumps, dark hair in a ponytail.

"How was Nessa? Did she behave?"

"I was good daddy," Nessa declared.

"Yes, you were munchkin," Felicity confirmed.

Felicity filled Eobard in on their night, giving a very detailed report on Nessa's antics. Never one to miss an opportunity, Iris sat her daughter on her feet and  slipped into her walk-in closet to dress. She'd already made a decision about her outfit for the day. Simple, casual, more girl next door than sexy sophisticate. Felicity finished her report on Nessa's behavior and Eobard turned just in time to see Iris step out of her closet fully dressed.

"'Dat me?" Nessa hugged her knees and pointed at the painting in the corner.

"Yup come on. You want to go with mommy to get breakfast from Ms. Christiana, I bet she has a treat for you? Maybe you could play with her new puppy."

The toddler's eyes lit up. "Tres Leches?"

"Not for breakfast." Eobard put in. "She has your sweet tooth."

"Come on sweetheart." Iris scooped up her daughter. "Did you have fun with Teetee Fe'?"

"Ya!"

Iris strode out of the room leaving Felicity and a reluctant Eobard to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it. Love it or hate it please take a moment to comment. Something you have a question about let me know and let me know if you caught the Reservoir Dogs nod. This is a great fandom and I love being a part of it.  
> 1- Coffee & Sugar typically grow best in tropical both however can and are grown in the US.  
> 2- Ernestine Macon is a character in the US tv series Underground. I strongly recommend it, Underground is a great show.


	3. A Day in the Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an average work-day for Thawne Tower employees Iris West and Barry Allen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this update took a little longer than I liked. Mainly because I split it off from the following chapter and added a lot. I think that makes it better, but it took some time to get it polished up. Anyway I hope you guys like it. See the end notes for explanations of dubious medical science and a few character notes. And when you're done take a moment to let me know what you think in the comments.

Christina, lovely Christina, with a long swath of dark hair, big dark eyes, and a voluptuous figure that spilled everywhere. Beautiful enough to be a favorite, but a licensed chef who could cook anything from Soul Food to the Mexican food she grew up with, to perfection. Christina who kept them stuffed on huevos rancheros and chorizo, with a salad of fruit, or crepes with cream and blueberry compote, or grits with salmon cakes.

Christina, who always kept the coffee pot full and made up little confections to satiate her sweet tooth.

_"You get me some chocolate and I'll make you the best brownies you ever had Iris."_

"Ms.Tina!" Nessa greeted the chef cheerfully."Hi Neda." She waved to the chef's two year old niece who sat on the kitchen floor playing fenced in by a toddler gate.

"Nessa!" The plump two year old got to her feet waving.

"Good morning to you too little one."Christina gave Nessa's cheeks a pinch. "I have special treats for you and your mama."

"Morning Christina." Iris put Nessa in the high chair.

"Rice pudding with blueberries and raisins for breakfast, not too much sugar." Christina sat the breakfast pudding down for Nessa and the child squealed with delight "And I'm sure you're looking for a refill?"

"You know me."

"A fresh pot is brewing, try this with your breakfast."

The other woman handed her a champagne flute of something that looked suspiciously like sparkling water.

"What is this?"

"I made it for you. We got a carbonator."

"You and Linda have been talking about me behind my back."

"Yes, Iris you're all Linda and I talk about. Taste it."

"It's not club soda is it?"

Christina sniffed, offended at the suggestion and Iris took an experimental sip. It was sweet, fruity and soft on the tongue.

"It's good."

"Here," Christina held out a plate of waffles piled high with fluffy whipped cream and Iris cheered.

In addition to waffles, there was fresh strawberry compote, sausages (Iris knew better than to ask what kind of meat), and a fruit salad of plums, nectarines and apricots.

"This looks wonderful Christina."

If Linda and Christina were in collusion to get her to drink more water it had worked. Whatever the fruit-water concoction Christina had made was, it was gone by the time she was scooping up the last bit of whipped cream from her plate; though it didn't stop her from filling up a second cup of coffee.

Before leaving Nessa with Christina, Iris cleaned up the toddler’s hands and face.

"You gonna stay here and play with Nedra?"

"I pway wit Neda."

Iris smiled and put Nessa in the pen with Christina's niece Nedra.

"Thanks for watching her Christina."

Iris could, of course, have kept Nessa with her in the bookkeeper's office. She often did, but she liked to get a couple hours of reading first thing in the morning without distractions and it certainly didn't hurt to have Nessa playing with a child her own age.

Fueled for the day Iris headed upstairs to the penthouse. The top floor of the tower was Eobard's living quarters, work space for both the bookkeepers and metahumans and Eobard's sealed rooms. The bookkeepers lived on the 9th floor and metahumans like Hunter or LaShawna on the 8th.

The bookkeeping office adjoined Eobard's with a shared door. Thankfully, they had their own entrance so she could continue to avoid him. Iris had forgotten that the side door took her past Pete's desk until she was face to face with it.

The offices were part of a converted apartment. Like all the apartments in the building there were hardwood floors throughout.They had a collection of six mismatched desks and chairs. The desks had all been painted, polished or sanded, but the styles varied; one mid-century, another modern, another victorian. The chairs varied as well, a mix of computer chairs in varying levels of quality.

Since it was a nice day out, whoever had come in first had opened the windows letting in warm spring air and sunlight.

She stood a moment, staring down at a photo of Pete and his sister, the orchid he'd been caring for, his laptop, and the kid's Happy Meal toys he'd started collecting recently. Out of curiosity she pulled open his desk drawer. His incomplete ship in a bottle lay there, waiting to be finished.

With a sigh, Iris pushed the drawer closed and looked up. Linda and Eric were already at their desk. Eric busy at his tablet while Linda sat studying an old atlas. Felicity stood in a far corner talking to someone on her headset.

"Good morning Eric." Iris said as she strode to her desk in the back. She'd already seen Linda and Felicity that morning.

"Morning Iris." Eric flashed that dimpled smile of his, his dark eyes lighting when they landed on her.

"Eric get Pete's things boxed up for me."

"Sure."

 Like the rest of them Eric was well groomed. Suited, his dark hair cut low in a close fade, hands manicured. It had taken time, but Eric had eventually accepted her authority over the rest of the favorites.

"But put his orchid on my desk."

Iris sat down to work and pulled out her phone while she waited for her laptop to boot. She owed Shawna a text.

**Iris: Good morning.**

**Shawna: I'm cooking dinner at your place tonight right? Do you need me to watch Nessa**

**Iris: Yes to dinner and yes please get Nessa from Christina if you don't mind.**

**Shawna: :D NP. You'll never guess whose shadowing me today. :(**

**Iris: Who?**

**Shawna: Arrogant, ass-hole meta-human, extraordinarie, Barry-fucking-Allen.**

**Iris: He is kinda square, but he may not be that bad.**

**Shawna: ???**

Iris considered her next words carefully. What she liked about Shawna was her loyalty and playfulness. Two traits that could be a problem here. Even before they'd started hooking up, Shawna had been protective.

**Iris: I was angry when I said that, but he'd been perfectly nice all this time.**

This was true. She'd liked the little bit she'd seen of Allen before he'd revealed that he was a metahuman.

**Shawna: /: whatev.**

**Iris: Don't do anything to him Shawna you can't be acting all jealous, Thawne will notice. Plus we agreed FWB.**

As far as Eobard knew she and Shawna were friends and Iris wanted to keep it that way. If knew it would be another thing he could leverage against her.

**Shawna: :eyeroll: did I say I was jealous?**

**Iris: Shawna please don't do anything.**

**Shawna:  I gotta work.**

Iris stared down at her phone tempted to call her, but she knew Shawna well enough to know that if she'd made up her mind she'd simply ignore her calls. Iris took a sip of her coffee. Fretting over it wouldn't help and she had work to do.

She really was a bookkeeper; Iris spent the first hour reviewing reports from Sector Five. Of course they weren't all finished in three hours. Managing the resources of Central City was a huge operation. Thawne had built some unbelieveable software for them, but it didn't necessarily make their work any easier.  In some ways, it made it their work harder. The more efficient an OS, the more human running it was expected to do; and then there was the resource allocation portion of her work.

This was something she'd taken over on her own, how a girl with a pretty face and a dream of being a reporter had made herself valuable in the new world.

Each proposal had to be reviewed and evaluated by human eyes. A winning project brought prestige to The Tower and made all their lives better. Iris looked through the proposals on her list for the day.

There was a request for compost for an apple orchard, with a photo of sad looking apple trees included.

Giving someone food trash wasn't an issue. Getting it to them if weren't already getting it from their own kitchen and neighbors was. She set it aside for later consideration. Then there was a request for resources to recreate a breed of domesticated pigeon that would serve for food and other purposes.

The presenter made the point that pigeons were hardy, plentiful, mild mannered and unafraid of humans. She'd learned a lot about animal husbandry in the last years and these were all good points, but pigeons were small and dirty and they were having such good results with raising rabbits for food and fur, rejected.

There was a request for resources for a tv show that could be aired on Thawne Network. The list of resources were too long. There was a theater request that seemed more feasible, since it primarily required time from the construction workers guild to restore one of the unused theater houses.There were management issues to consider if Central City put resources into a playhouse; then it would belong to Central City, who would get to use it and when, for what?? Perhaps for now they were better off with buskers, park performers and the traveling theaters that passed through from time-to-time with their own equipment.

She moved the proposal to her Consideration along with the compost request. She spent an hour reading summaries and put the most feasible into a file for later review.

With that done, she checked emails. Not her personal email, but emails to Ms. West. The one that humans who wanted to work in the tower used if they didn't want Eobard's attention or if they needed assistance from metahumans like an escort to visit a far away relative. Ms.West was the one who would talk to Shawna Baez or her brother Wally. Iris made a mental note to put Barry Allen on that list. She had a feeling that he wouldn't mind.

She searched her email for anything marked urgent or dated within the next 3 days. When nothing came up Iris smiled; it was time to see her daughter.

* * *

 

"Hi Barry."

One of the women from the party approached him almost as soon as he arrived.

"Shawna right?”

"Yeah."

He remembered thinking she was cute, not as cute as Iris, but still cute.

"You settling in ok?"

He nodded.

"It's a lot to take in, right?"

"Yeah."

"Have you had breakfast?"

"T-bar."

"Great way to start the day, right?" She smiled, but there was an edge to it.

"I guess." He shrugged. He kept getting the feeling that he'd walked into the middle of something and everyone understood it, but him.

"Why don't you hit the breakfast bar, eat and then we'll head out to our patrol?"

Barry nodded. "What will you be doing?"

"I've got some reports to do."

"Okay."

Breakfast was sausage and fresh biscuits with grilled potatoes There was also some fruit and cottage cheese. Some of his fellow meta-humans had made breakfast sandwiches, others smeared their biscuits with preserves and seemed intent on loading up on sugar. His stomach rumbled as the scent of food hit him, reinforcing Shawna's suggestion that T-bars were not enough.

He'd always preferred sugar.

Barry made himself a plate of biscuits with preserves, piled on the cut-up fruit, grabbed a few sausages and looked around for a seat. The school cafeteria had never been one of his favorite places.

"Allen?" Hunter called him over to a table where he sat with a petite young woman with dark hair and eyes. Like him and every other metahuman on duty, she wore black trousers and a jacket with a white shirt and long thin tie.

"How you doing man?"

"It's a good morning."

"Good night, though?" Hunter leered and chuckled and Barry shrugged. "Listen, this is Eliza Harmony, she got in late last night."

Liza gave him a nod and a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you."

"She's a speedster like us. Mr. Thawne will probably have the two of you work together sometime this week."

"Even though you're shadowing Baez for the next few days I'm in charge of your physical training. Once you're settled you'll have afternoon work-outs with Liza and I a couple days a week."

"Got it."

Apparently Liza had been on a scavenging expedition for the last week with Shawna Baez and crew of non-metas. They'd been exploring a series of warehouses south of here. Though the accident had been five years ago there were still warehouses and storehouses in rural areas that hadn't been cleaned out. Anything they couldn't use could be salvaged or traded.

Barry kept his eyes on his plate, but listened intently. He'd gotten pretty good at re-purposing things since the accident and if he was going to help the people in Ithaca he'd need materials. As much as he wanted to he didn't ask any questions. His natural inclination was to share, but the more he learned about Central City the more he felt the need to play his cards close to his chest.

Their conversation moved on, with only a third of his question answered. Tempted as he was to ask about it Barry summoned the self-control he'd learned since the accident and kept his mouth shut. When he got a chance he would hack Mr. Thawne's network and read whatever he wanted.

The conversation moved on to people he didn't know or care about. Still he asked questions to feign interest. Rory, a meta-human, who had retired to one of the outlying farms with his new wife Roxanne. Hunter seemed to disapprove of this lifestyle choice.

"You're quiet this morning Allen."

Barry shrugged mouth still full of biscuits.

"Probably didn't have anything this good in- Where did you say you from?"

"I didn't," Barry said as he swallowed the last of his food."Gotta go guys. I'm sure Shawna's waiting on me." It was a lie, but he wasn't ready to share anything with the people here yet.

Shawna reappeared as Barry was cleaning up his breakfast; the kitchen was decorated with a number of signs stressing the importance of everyone cleaning up after themselves.

"Good, no one has to tell you."

"Kinda hard to miss it."

"You'd be surprised."

Barry nodded. "So when do we start?"

"As soon as we have our coffee."

They filled their travel mugs with arabica and headed out.

"So I do my patrol in the morning, have a work-out and if nothing comes up I'm done for the day?"

Barry asked as they stepped into the elevator. Shawna pushed the button for the lobby and leaned against the back wall of the elevator. Barry joined her.

"What kind of things come up?"

"Mostly emergencies, natural disasters, occasional bandits."

"Bandits?' Barry shook his head. "When did our lives become a fantasy rpg?"

"I know right. Other stuff specific to your abilities. For example, I'm a bit like a canary in a coal mine."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Not really; I'm pretty fast. Technically I'm faster than any of you speedsters." She said with a cocky grin.

"Oh really?" Barry said, tone rich with disbelief.

"Yes, I am." She was clearly confident in her abilities; Barry just looked away shaking his head.

"So how does that work anyway?"

"So, I explore places. If they're safe I bring the crew in, if not I make a report on what we need to make them safe and priority recommendation. Speedsters have cloudy-day duty."

"Cloudy-day duty?"

"Yeah, Central city is purely solar powered. Sometimes if we have overcast skies for several days, the cells run low. Speedsters head over to the plant and hit the treadmill."

"Kinetic charge?"

"Yep."

The elevator stopped on pretty much every floor.  By the time they reached the lobby it was crowded with tower residents leaving for a work day or some other business. Some wore metahumans suits, but others Barry couldn't tell.

Outside the streets were just as crowded. To the left of the entrance there was a line of rickshaws.

Shawna greeted the driver, a young fair-haired man with a smile and a cheerful ‘good morning’. She didn't bother to give him an address or direction before he pulled off and Barry assumed the driver must already have the route.

"Now I could teleport and you could run, but we should get to our patrol as fresh and rested possible. We're doing the northern patrol; it's right near the intake house where you came. Do you wanna stop in? Part of being in Central City and working as a metahuman is being visible."

He shook his head.

"Maybe after."

They rode through the crowded streets in the rickshaw. Shawna pointed out different areas of the city: the guilds, the markets, public parks and gardens, fishing holes, and sites of interest.

Until they reached the Northern road Intake house, Central City abutted the Appalachian mountain range on the north bringing an abrupt halt to the downtown sprawl. The northern road continued out of the city running along the base of the mountains.

The rickshaw driver let them out and Shawna thanked him with a smile and got out her phone.

"So the different guilds rotate members for the tower. Delivery, rickshaw, etc...The guilds earn extra credit and we can thank them by rating the quality of the service online. Do you have your passwords set up?"

"I think Iris West is supposed to be helping me this afternoon."

Shawna frowned and sucked her teeth.

"I'll show you really quickly on my phone."

She pulled out an iphone and showed him an app that didn't look too different from Uber and Lyft apps and rated their driver.

"It's important to rate good service and critique bad service. Good rating the guilds earn more and work harder, detailed reviews on a bad rating mean members are shifted to other duties or retrained. The guilds want their extras. So ratings are important."

Barry nodded.

"So where are we going?"

"Up there." Shawna pointed with a smile. "Suns pretty powerful." She handed him a pair of sunglasses.

"Thanks. You teleport, I run?"

"More or less, but-" Shawna smiled as if a particularly juicy and pleasing thought had just entered her mind.

"What?"

"What’d you say we have a little race?"

"But you can just teleport up."

"Only line of sight. You catch me before I get to the top. We'll get our workout for the day, and we'll find out who's faster; how about it Allen?"

"Why not."  Barry shrugged grinning. She may have beaten the Hunter and Mr. Thawne, but that didn't mean she was faster than him.

Shawna pulled out a telescope.

"On your mark, get set," The metahuman disappeared on the word “go!”

Amused Barry took off after her. Keeping his focus straight ahead. As fast as he was, the metahuman stayed ahead of him winking in just long enough to taunt him and then out again and always higher up the mountain. Soon he was gasping for air, each breath bringing in less oxygen as they went higher into the mountains.

Determined to catch her and put an end to this race before they got too much higher into the mountain, Barry put on an extra burst of speed propelling himself forward. She'd stay almost in his direct line taunting him. If she kept to that pattern-

There was a shimmer in the air and Barry felt a blast of heat. She started to solidify, he saw her eyes widen in surprise.

"Gotcha!" Barry reached out a hand to stop her, but she was already fading. All he got for his extra effort

Shawna disappeared and reappeared a hundred feet higher up the mountain. She turned to wave at him leisurely, a big smile on her face. Irritated, Barry dashed up the mountain after her.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" She shouted as soon as he was in range and disappeared again.

_How was the altitude not getting to her? Was she part mountain goat?_

Barry wanted to throw himself on the ground and lay there until he caught his breath, until his ears and lungs adjusted. Instead he dashed further up after her.

"There could be bandits in these peaks!" She shouted.

When she stopped again they were standing in the snow, sunlight reflecting back at them. He was cool, but not cold. When she didn't disappear again Barry straightened up.

"Look at you, so earnest to do a good job." She nudged his shoulder almost playfully. "Not even Hunter would follow me up here; I'm impressed Allen. It's beautiful isn't it?"

Barry followed her gaze down the mountain. From this height he couldn't make out Central City, just treetops, grassy slopes, and a blend of dark that was rooftops. It might have seemed beautiful to him if his head wasn't starting to throb.

"No bandits?"

"Nope."

"Are we done?"

"Not yet!" The metahuman declared with cheerful smile and disappeared again. Barry sighed.

"Down here!" She waved her arms standing on a snowy plateau in a pool of sunlight. Barry zipped over to where she was standing. It wasn't quite as warm there, but he knew how to vibrate and himself for warmth.

"You good?" She asked cheerfully. "If you need to go back-"

"-I'm fine." It was a lie; his stomach was twisting as if he'd eaten something rotten and his headache was getting worse. "Just not used to the altitude."

"Suit yourself."

She shrugged and disappeared again. Barry followed her into the valley vibrating to keep warm. Where these damned bandits could possibly be he had no idea, since he saw no sign of a shelter and it really didn't make sense that anyone would hide up here.

When Shawna didn't reappear Barry started to worry. He tried scan the peaks for any sign of her, but they were doing somersaults, his vision was merging them into a dizzying white blur and there was a crackling in his lungs now. Fear settled in his stomach; something was wrong, very wrong. He needed to get to a lower altitude. Barry ran back the way he came, but somehow ended up back where he started, crisscrossing his own tracks and still no sign of Shawna.

He tried a second, and then a third time, but the throbbing in his head and rolling in his stomach grew worse with each moment til he bent double in the snow puking his guts out.

Shawna sat in her shelter, snug in the coat and mittens she kept there, warming her hands in front of the wood burning stove she'd installed. It wasn't much, but it was a quiet place where she could come, sit by herself away from the city and think; and it had a spectacular view.

She smirked. Allen didn't seem to appreciate the view. It was petty dragging him up the mountain, but it made her feel better. The Netflix founder had built a billion dollar company and revolutionized an industry out of spite against Blockbuster and other video rental companies; petty got shit done.

She should probably check on him though. He hadn't actually done anything, _yet._

Shawna peaked out from her little shelter looking down into the snowy valley through her telescope just in time to see Allen collapse in the snow.

"Shit!"

She ran back into the shelter and dumped a bucket of snow into the stove putting out the little fire. Outside she trained her vision on Allen and teleported to his side.

Avoiding the mess of puke in the snow she rolled him on his back to get a good look at him and swore.

He was warm to the touch, but his lips and fingers were blue from lack of oxygen.

_Severe altitude sickness took days, not minutes._

Worried, she put an ear to his chest listening for the telltale crackle of pulmonary edema.

"Shit Allen."

She hadn't expected him to get sick. Maybe a little headache and nausea from the rapid changes, chill from the cold, some discomfort, but nothing life threatening. She'd figured that speedster metabolism would keep him safe, let him adjust more quickly. Perhaps the speedster metabolism had brought on the situation faster.

She put his arms around her neck and pulled him close.

"Hold on tight Allen."

Squinting over his shoulder as far as she could Shawna teleported them to the most distant peak.

Kneeling in the snow beside him she looked out and couldn't see anything but open air. Allen coughed and groaned and she drug him around the side of the peaks so she could look down and start getting them out of there. Allen chose that moment  to struggle to his feet and lurch away from her. Terrified that ataxia would send him stumbling right off the mountain, she lunged for him. Allen may have looked skinny, but his weight was enough to send them both tumbling down the mountainside.

The world was moving too fast for her to see anywhere to teleport and stop her wild tumble.

"God, if you're really still out there I will never play any pranks like this again; I swear! Allen probably really is a good guy, don't kill us ‘cause I'm stupid and petty."

She skidded to a stop and looked around for Allen immediately. He'd fallen first.  She saw him below her on a ledge jutting out from the mountain side. He wasn't moving.

"Shit!"

She teleported to his side. He was hurt, but alive. Certain that he'd be alright as soon as she got him to a lower altitude, Shawna wrapped her arms around him, looked down as far as she could and concentrated. She did it again and again moving them down the mountainside as quickly as she could, keeping him close - for fear that she'd leave a leg behind or something - until she was dizzy with weariness and her own head was throbbing with exertion.

When the sky wasn't doing somersaults, when he wasn't being violently jolted from one place to another, and his head was no longer throbbing, the first thing he noticed was the clear blue of the sky littered puffy white clouds and the chirp of a nearby cricket. He'd gotten sick to his stomach and then everything went blurry. He vaguely remembered Shawna talking to him and swearing a lot.

"Shawna?"

"Allen!"

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked to his left to see her sprawled inches away. She shifted so that she was kneeling by his side, worried expression on her face, hair floating about her head in nimbus of dark cotton.

"How are you feeling?" Shawna asked.

"Fine I guess."

"Any nausea? Headache?"

"Headache." Barry gestured toward the back of his head.

"I thought you might have hit your head."

She asked him a few more questions, peered at his eyes, and told him to be still while she leaned down over his chest to listen to his lungs.

"The edema is still there, but it sounds better already; I think you're going to be fine."

"Are you a doctor or something?"

"Almost.The accident happened a few months before I was due to graduate."

"Ahhh."

She pulled a bottle of water from her bag.

"You should lie down for a bit." She took her coat off and pillowed it under his head.

"Yes Dr. Baez."

"Don't get cute." She pulled a couple T-bars from her backpack. "You need to eat, we both do and eat slowly so you don't get sick again."

They ate their T-bars and shared the water. Barry started to feel revived. His head clearing, the irritation in his lungs disappearing, and as he felt better, his mind sorted out the memory of what happened. Anger flushed through him heating his skin.

"What the fuck was that, Baez?"

She chewed her bottom lip and looked at him, dark eyes wide with trepidation.

"I've never done anything to you. Is it fuck with the new guy or what?"

"I owe you an apology. You weren't supposed to get sick like that. I'm sorry."

"So you _were_ fucking with me?"

She nodded.

"You nearly killed me. I've never done a damn thing to you. You keep your distance."

"Wait!" Shawna called after him and teleported herself a few feet down his path. "We're supposed to work together tomorrow."

"I'll ask for somebody else."

"Don't! Thawne notices, he notices everything. It's not good-"

"-You mean it won't be good for you-"

"It’s not just me."

"You should have thought about that before you practically killed me."

"You weren't in that kind of danger."

He glared at her and started walking again.

"I'll owe you a favor!"

For a moment he kept walking and then Barry remembered why he'd come to Central City in the first place.

"What kind of favor?"

"Your's to name as long as it isn't anything illegal or invasive."

Barry considered, given the work-out she'd just put him through he could definitely see where she'd be useful in helping him deal with Snart and his crew.

"Alright. Tomorrow we'll start over like this never happened and you'll owe me a favor."

Shawna nodded.

"I'm going back to my apartment, you can finish your patrol by yourself."

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So all the characters are based on on the versions presented in the show. However I am borrowing things from comic canon as well. So we have super smart Barry Allen, LaShawna Baez former medical student, and we'll learn more about Iris as the story unfolds.
> 
> Central City has an eastern or mid-western feel to it to me and since there was a shot of mountains in the background of an episode I decided to incorporate that into this story.
> 
> Barry developed a case of severe altitude sickness. Some people develop altitude sickness due the decrease in oxygen as you go into higher latitudes. Severe altitude sickness usually develops over several days as mountain climbers go higher and higher into mountains. Since Barry and Shawna basically did it in about an hour, at the most, Barry's altitude sickness developed more rapidly. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading, please take a moment to let me know what you think in the comments. This is a great fandom and I love talking to you guys.


	4. Post-Apocalyptic Gift Basket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after careful consideration I have increased the rating on this fic from mature to explicit.

Barry let his door slam shut. The run back to Thawne Tower had not been enough to cool him down. He could think of half-a-dozen things he'd like to say to Baez and none them pretty. Whatever the reason for her little prank she'd nearly killed him. He was trying to decide what to do next when his phone buzzed. It was a text from Hunter reminding him that Iris West would be by in about 30 minutes to make sure he was settling in.

Barry rubbed the space in between his brows. The way Mr. Thawne had talked about settling in last night it seemed like anything, but. He tried to think for a moment. Perhaps when she got here he would politely decline.

That settled he stood in his apartment trying to think. He had half an hour before Ms. West arrived. He considered going back up to the employee lounge. He was supposed to be looking for potential allies, but he'd never been the best at making friends and given the way the meta-humans here behaved he wasn't sure he wanted to bring them to Ithaca anyway. Well he had Baez at least. Barry sighed. Perhaps he shouldn't send Ms. West away she seemed to know Central City quite well.  

He checked the time. Twenty minutes. Not enough time for making friends anyway. He surveyed the apartment thinking about what to do with his time when his eyes landed on the bookcase. They'd scavenged in Ithaca just like they did here in Central City, but never to this extent.

Barry studied his bookcase, pondering Ms. West's selection for him; Quantum Enigma, The Panda's Thumb,The Fabric of the Cosmos and The Origin of Species & Descent of Man, unabridged. His eyebrows arched on the latter; that was dense reading, some of it lovely but still very dense. He continued browsing and found lighter selections: Issac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and the mother of all science fiction, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.-A/N There were a couple of graphic novels, and science magazines and trade journals.

Barry couldn't help but smile as he considered it. Somehow from the broad selection of nerd interests she'd managed to touch on each one, choosing some of best representatives from each category. More than a little impressed, he considered his options before settling on Frankenstein.

The lanky speedster settled on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table as he read. He could read it in seconds, but he'd read this book as a teen one slow word at a time and that was how he read it now. Taking the time to savor Mary Shelley's prose and the feel of 19th century gothic science fiction, the beginning of a new genre of novel.

He just got to the point where Victor describes his 'more than sister' when there was a knock on the door.-A/N

He went to the door and checked the peep-hole, Ms.West stood on his door step. He paused taking a deep breath before opening the door. He knew Ms. West was supposed to be helping him with work related stuff, but Barry had the distinct impression that it would be more than that.

"Hi," she smiled cheerfully as he opened the door. "Not here offering sexual favors, just a little post-apocalyptic gift basket."

"Post apocalyptic?" Barry said, copying her casual tone and demeanor. "What makes it post apocalyptic?"

"Well, invite me in and I'll tell you,"she replied with good cheer.

"My curiosity must be satisfied," Barry pulled the door open."Come right in Ms. West."

Iris strode into his apartment footsteps echoing through the near empty rooms. Gone was the sexy sophisticate he'd seen last night. She was wearing one of those cute little dresses that Barry was never sure if it was a dress or t-shirt and short skirt, with a pair of flats and no make-up. She looked like the girl next door.

Iris sat the gift basket down on the coffee table and faced him, motioning as if it were a brand new car on The Price is Right.

"No cellophane, no tinsel, no padding in the bottom and the fruits not so pretty," she shrugged, "but its symmetrical more or less and I guarantee it is a 100% organic; fresh, ripe and better than anything you ever found in a B.A. market." She smiled pleased with her pitch. "And this post apocalyptic gift basket comes with a handy dandy piece of gingham fabric that you'll probably want to have made into a pillowcase or something."

Barry chuckled, "Well thank you for the post apocalyptic gift basket."

"You're welcome. Now let's work on getting you settled."

"Getting me settled?"

"Yeah it's one part new job orientation and one part new Central City Citizen orientation."

"Ohhh."

Her eyes moved over the living room, flitting from the bare walls and windows, to the unoccupied end tables.

"You need more furniture, and I'm betting you need food. You meta-humans seem to eat a lot."

He nodded.

"Plus we have to get your passwords and ID taken care of, you'll need that to view assignments. So we'll try and get all of that taken care of today."

"Thanks," Barry crossed his arms.

"Just doing one of my many jobs here in Central City. You need something, I know a guy. I know alllll the-" she paused and he could see her reevaluating her word choice. "Let's just say I know a lot of people."

They shared a smile.

"Go get changed so we can go get your stuff."

"I'll wear this."

Iris shook her head.

"You look really uncomfortable and you're gonna scare people. You have that whole Reservoir Dogs, thug thing going on."

Barry laughed as he'd had the exact same thought.

"It really does. Does he-"

Iris shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Well I don't have much and none of its clean."

"Hmmmm."

Iris studied him a moment before reaching up and unknotting his tie. Barry swallowed and looked away, avoiding those rich, deep, mysterious eyes. Turning his thoughts away from the memory of last night and the soft, plushness of her lips.

But he couldn't ignore the way she smelled; the soft light scent of fresh cut roses wafted around them or the way the afternoon sunlight played on her dark hair revealing hints of red and gold in the dark strands.

He should stop her, fix his own clothes, but instead he took a deep breath drinking in the sweetness of her perfume, fingers curling as he recalled the feel of her petal soft skin. Barry glanced down letting his eyes trail along the graceful column of her throat as he considered pressing kisses there.

Her hands settled on his shoulders and he looked down at her now, met the eyes he had avoided moments ago.

She smiled, lips turning up ever so slightly at the corner before she pushed his jacket down, sliding it off his arms and grazing his palms with her fingertips.

 _Would she let him kiss her?_ He wondered remembering the honeyed softness of her lips.

Iris took a step back and Barry let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

She studied her handiwork with a frown.

"Almost there."

She took a step closer and reached up to run one slim-fingered hand through his hair.

"There, now you won't scare people in the street."

He was about to ask her what she meant, because he had a feeling it wasn't the whole Reservoir Dogs thing, when her phone rang. She excused herself making her way to the bathroom. Of its own accord his head turned and he watched her walk down the hall, little skirt swaying around her thighs.

When he heard the bathroom door close,Barry sunk down on the couch.

 _"God damn."_ How was he going to spend the day with her?

_'Son, a man buys a woman, or forces himself on her when he isn't man enough to be with her consensually. When he isn't man enough to open up his heart and connect with her emotionally, when he doesn't understand what sex is really about.'_

His father had said that to him when they'd found out one of the neighbors was a serial rapist and murderer. He looked down the hall toward the bathroom as he considered her anger from the night before. That was not a woman who wanted him no matter how much effort she put into seducing him.

"I should leave. I should quit and leave right now."

Even as he said it, Barry shook his head; the people of Ithaca were people counting on him. Central City may have been rotten, but he needed the resources and connections he could make here.

His eyes drifted down the hall, settled on the light creeping out from under the bathroom door.

To take his mind off Ms. West, Barry decided to investigate the contents of the gift basket. He found apples, which he was bored of, he'd eaten so many apples in the past four years. Cherries -a nice treat- they grew local. Two pots of jam labeled strawberry and apricot respectively. God he hoped there was fresh bread and butter available. Did the breakfast biscuits he'd eaten have butter or were biscuits made with lard? He wasn't sure. Still fresh bread with butter and honey was divine. There were also pears.

He let out a little sigh.

Two pears with pale, green, speckled skins blushing red, advertising a tender, delicious, ripeness.

Barry had never thought much of pears. He'd liked them well enough before, but after years of apples, cherries, strawberries, blueberries and the occasional melon, his mind had settled on them as some sort of idealized fruit; recalled them as tender, sweet and perfect, tormenting him at times with their memory. The Speedster got to his feet and went to the kitchen.

He washed both fruits, marveling at the stream of clean, reliable water. He raised one to his lips and paused a moment to savor its fragrance --the scent of warm sunny afternoons and tender coolness-- to sit a moment in anticipation. His scientific mind took the moment to contemplate the idea that this was what the fruit wanted, its beautiful color, the tempting scent, its sweetness; it desired to be devoured and consumed so that the seeds of the tree who parented it might be spread to fertile ground.

Barry took the first bite, breaking the crisp skin and cutting into the yielding softness of the pear's tender flesh as his mouth was flooded by sweet juice and soft fruit.

"God." He muttered as pear juice dribbled down his chin and soaked his fingers.

"Who would've thought fruit would be such a big deal, right?"

He whirled to see Ms. West standing in the kitchen, an amused look on her face.

"This is the best pear I've ever had. You have this one."

"Oh no I already have-"

"Please Ms. West if I eat the second one it will be terrible, but if I give it to you to eat it will be delicious. The good fruit curse."

She laughed then -a light tinkling sound that fell over him like bells- and took the fruit.

"If you insist."

She took the pear from him, fingertips grazing his palm in a feather light caress as she did so, a sparkle in her dark eyes.

He watched her surreptitiously, watched as that first pleasure spread over her face in a flutter of lids and a delighted smile as a sigh of happiness escaped her lips.

Her pleasure was the sexiest thing, but it was not okay for him to want her, to watch her openly. So he observed instead, in secret stolen glances. Watched pear juice dribble down her chin, watched as she sucked it from her fingers with puckered lips,watched till he caught himself stroking his own lips in response, his half eaten pear forgotten.

It was over too soon, the tender sweet fruit devoured, consumed down to nubs.

She spit the seeds into her palm.

"These are fertile." She explained holding out her hand. "They're yours. You can grow a pear tree in your home or trade them. They're valuable, everything is valuable now. There is no such thing as waste."

He nodded.

Barry took the seeds from her and put them in one of the empty kitchen drawers.

"Do you need to get anything?"

He shook his head

"Then let's go." Iris smiled flashing white teeth against dark skin and then she took his arm. _It was gonna be a long afternoon._

* * *

 

When he'd made his way from Ithaca, through the neighborhoods around Central City, the empty quiet of abandoned homes and blocked streets weighed on him settling hopeless in his heart. It was seeing the lights of Downtown Central City during the night that saved him; let him know he was not alone.

Downtown Central City was the opposite of the empty neighborhoods around it. A place bursting with life, streets filled with humanity. Shops packed with scavenged merchandise and the output of newer crafts. Barry rolled up his shirt sleeves, the late spring afternoon had grown warm and he was glad he'd left his jacket back in his apartment. If the last few days were any indicator, it was going to be a warm summer.

Iris hadn't exaggerated when she said she knew everyone. Everywhere in the crowded streets people waved, spoke to her, showed off their babies to her or made way. They offered condolences for someone named Pete, made inquiries about Nessa -whom Barry gathered was her daughter-- and asked about Iris' father, Joe.

At each market and warehouse they went to they were greeted by a smiling shopkeeper who greeted Iris by name and went out of their way to be helpful with recommendations and delivery scheduling. One shopkeeper gave her a painting, another a throw and a third gave her a pre-Accelerator doll with curly hair for Nessa. It was clear that Iris was well loved by the people of Central City.

As they shopped and moved through the crowd, she seemed to stay in near constant physical contact with him. A light touch on the shoulder, her arm brushing briefly against his as they peered into a display case, a tug on his sleeve to get his attention. More than once he caught himself gazing at her, at those long legs, her dark hair, her lush mouth.

_"I'm a beautiful woman. Its okay to want me."_

Would it be so terrible to give in?

They made good progress on his furniture shopping. Getting necessities like wastebaskets, mirrors,ironing board, linens, a basic set of tools and a few things to decorate. A number of familiar kitchen appliances were not an option. Microwave, toaster, rice maker, etc...banned in Central City. At four o'clock Iris declared a break for a late lunch.

They went to an open air restaurant crowded with wooden plank tables. According to Iris it was the best soul food in Central City. Their choices were fried chicken or catfish with candied yams, collard greens and apple juice.

A young black woman with her hair in plaits  took their order and inquired wistfully after lemons. Iris simply shrugged and shook her head.

"Apple juice is not the drink for soul food."

He didn't know soul food, but he understood the sentiment. Soda went with pizza, milk went with peanut butter & jelly; it never felt right to have it any other way.

"I do have a peach cobbler for Ms. Nessa."

"Any cobbler for her mama?"

Judy laughed.

"Yes, your food will be up in a bit." She handed him a basket of something fried and wonderful smelling. "Nice to meet you Mr. Allen and welcome to Central City."

Just as everywhere else they'd been, a table opened up for them.

"It's so weird how we have certain drinks for certain foods. Coffee and donuts, wine and cheese."

"Soul food and lemonade." Iris said popping one of the fried balls into her mouth.

"What are those?"

"Hushpuppies, eat one."

He picked up one of the fried balls and took a cautious bite. They were crispy on the outside, soft, savory and fluffy on the inside.

"Oh my God these are so good! How have I lived my entire life without ever having these?" Barry popped the other half of the hush puppy into his mouth and saw Iris watching him with a pleased smile.

"You love to eat don't you?" He said after finishing the first.

"I do. I really do."

They munched on savory, little balls of heaven, Barry asking questions about the different markets, and what city life was like during the summer? How did they manage the heat? What about the winter when it was too cold for street entertainers and outdoor restaurants?

"You have a daughter?"

"Mhmm." Iris smiled and held out her phone. "That's my Nessa."

Normally Barry wasn't much concerned with other people's kids, but the little girl that stared up at him from Iris' phone did so with the same clear blue eyes as his boss.

"Your daughter is lovely." Barry said trying to fit this new information in with everything he already knew about Iris West.

"I know everyone says their kid is the smartest, but Nessa a little genius."

Barry nodded, barely listening as Iris told him how Nessa had learned to walk and talk early. How sweet she was. He was too busy think about everything he'd learned about Central City today to notice anything she said other than the fact that she adored her daughter.

"You know," he said when she paused as the food came. "You've shown me a lot. I think I can manage the rest on my own. You should spend the rest of the afternoon with your daughter, if you want."

He expected her to be happy at the prospect or politely and professionally decline. What he did not expect was the flash of anger he saw in the dark depths of her eyes. It was only a glimpse, and if he hadn't been looking right at her he probably would have missed it. A cool, professional mask smothered that rage in seconds.

"That's very kind of you Mr. Allen, but I must decline. Can you excuse me for a moment?"

He nodded and watched her hurry away, all the while wondering just what the hell was going on in Central city.

After lunch Iris took them to the clothing market. They visited a couple shops and an hour after their arrival Allen was wearing a flannel button down with slim fitting jeans. They even found his favorite, chucks.

"So you're gonna get dinner from the kitchen and furniture, clothing and food will be delivered. Now we just need to get all your accounts, user ids and passwords set up."

Barry looked out at the street. It was almost completely dark and he'd been at work since 8am this morning.

"We should, but it's been a full day so far." He remarked, recalling his patrol with LaShawn.

"I'm sorry." She gave his arm a friendly squeeze. "You're right let's get back to the tower."

"Would you mind if I got us back quicker?"

"You mean speed us back?"

He nodded.

"That's fine I guess."

"What number is your apartment?"

"9C."

Barry scooped her up and told himself not to think about how warm and soft she was in his arms, how intoxicating she smelt or her arms around his neck. In a few blinks they were outside her door. He sat her down gently, taking a moment to make sure she was steady on her feet.

"Your neighbors must be cooking something really good, smells like Italian."

"Yeah it does."

"Welp,thank you for your help today Ms. West."

"You're welcome. You know Allen I'm actually starting to like you, you should call me Iris."

"Okay," Barry said running a hand through his hair. "As long as you call me Barry."

"Deal."

"Thanks for your help today Ms. W- Iris."

She smiled. "You're welcome Barry. I'll see you tomorrow  we'll get your accounts and passwords set-up."

"Alright tomorrow it is."

As he walked back toward the stairwell Barry couldn't help but look back just in time to see her door shut. With a sigh he zipped down to his floor.

* * *

 

Barry flipped the light switch in his apartment marveling for a moment at the miralce of Central City. Reliable clean water, electricity, good food, solid shelter, after nearly a month he still wasn't used to it, but none of it was enough to take his mind off Ms. W- Iris. Under any other circumstances he'd be delighted. He'd be texting Iris right now to tell her what a great day he'd had, how much he'd enjoyed his time with her and he'd let his mind sprint miles ahead of their burgeoning friendship. But even in the B.A. these weren't normal circumstances.

_-"I'm a beautiful woman, it's okay to want me."-_

He'd met Iris as soon as he was well enough to leave the intake house. Seeing CSI in his lists of skills had apparently prompted someone to forward his information to her. Since most crime was rooted in poverty and there was no poverty in Central City, there was little use for a forensics lab or CSI. But she had assured him that there were many uses for those familiar with scientific processes. He could work in salvage while she put out feelers. He hadn't known then that another week's worth of regular meals and sleep would mean the return of his speed.

There'd been a couple of follow-up interviews.  He'd been attracted to her from the beginning so he was happy to attend them and she'd seemed hopeful. Then he'd gotten everyone on his crew out of the way of a spill as a strut had given way on a loading dock. His former crewmates had been stunned and before he knew it he was being whisked up to the 10th floor for an interview with Mr. Thawne.

Iris had been there too, he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her, but the friendliness, the warmth he'd seen in their earlier interviews was gone. He hadn't understood it at the time.

His eyes flitted to the gift basket. With a sigh Barry picked it up and went into the kitchen to put away the contents. She probably wasn't even attracted to him and even if she was he had an obligation to Ithaca.

Not for the first time since he'd been struck by lightning did Barry wish for a normal metabolism so that he could have drink and care just a little less about how times were not normal.

Barry looked at his phone, 7:08pm. He didn't have any friends here in Central City. He didn't really have any place to go, he didn't feel like reading and he especially didn't want to sit around moping. And then he remembered the television.

Smiling he went over the DVD tower.  After a quick scan he found one of his favorite movies, Reanimator.

For a moment he wondered how Iris had picked out films and books for him. If the shops for books and films were anything like the markets he'd seen today they were just books, DVDs and maybe even VHS sitting in boxes waiting for someone to pick them up and take them home. They'd only had three brief conversations before last night, but here was one of his favorite movies sitting on the shelf.

With a bemused smile Barry put the movie in, clicked the tv on and got a surprise when instead of static or a blank screen, a photo of several men and women in overalls came up. Message from the Central City Electricians Guild:

_While solar panels provide us with a clean, safe, reliable and steady source of energy we are still limited. All citizens are reminded to keep television viewing down to two hours daily, ensuring adequate electricity for our needs. Remember, on holidays and weekends the allotment is increased and notifications can be found every Friday evening in your Central City Network email. If you expect an interruption of more than two minutes please pause whatever you are viewing and turn your television off so as not to lose your daily viewing time. Viewing hours do not carry over to the following days and cannot be accrued._

Barry checked the length of his film, an hour and twenty-six minutes. That left plenty of time. He put Reanimator in, hit play and was surprised when a small clock reading 120 minutes appeared in the lower left hand corner.

For an hour and twenty-six minutes Barry existed in another time, another world. A time and place of plenty, a time of consistency, but also so much waste. Watching the film, he'd forgotten all the things people threw away, discarded, forgot. Disposable cups, pens, plates, napkins...When the credits rolled he stopped the movie and turned the television off, yawning. It was late enough to sleep now.

Barry stripped down to his boxers, still absorbed in the miracle film. It had been five years since he'd seen a movie. It was a such a strange and amazing thing. A miracle of sound, motion and color packed into a tiny box. How had they ever taken them for granted?

He'd thought sleep would come almost instantly, it had been a long full day. But the moment his head hit the pillow Iris' rose scent perfume wafted around. Somehow, he'd forgotten that she'd slept in this very bed, naked, only the night before.

_"I'm a beautiful woman its ok to want me."_

Unbidden, the events of last night sprang to mind.

Iris crawling into his lap, Iris dressed in two bits of flimsy lace rising from his bed like a goddess, Iris offering herself to him. Barry bit out a curse and his blood began flowing south. He couldn't lay here letting his thoughts be flooded by desire.

He threw on the sweat pants and hoodie he'd gotten a few hours ago along with his chucks. He took a few minutes to stretch, focusing on the satisfying feeling of lengthened muscles and loosened joints, a different kind of physical satisfaction. When he was sufficiently stretched, he ran.

Before the accident his body had been a vehicle that took him where he needed to go and brought him satisfaction through food, sleep, a nice bath and the all too infrequent release of sex. But since the gift of becoming a speedster, there had been quick reflexes, strength, stamina, and the lightning.

He savored this strong fit body as he ran. The wind on his face, his feet lifting him up with every step pushing him forward and the lightning. Electricity crackling through a body remade with the strength to handle it. With each step the world fell away, Ithaca, Iris, Central City, the chaos of the last four years, it all vanished until the power of the speedforce remained.

He ran until he was spent, standing in a strange place heart pounding, limbs hot, blood pumping. He stared up at a starry sky, standing on a strange road in the middle of nowhere. Feeling the satisfaction of a mind calmed and for a moment, emptied.

Barry paced,waiting, letting his limbs grow cool and rested. He drank some of his water, ate one of the T-bars and started back.

Iris was beautiful woman and he liked her more and more with each moment spent in her company. He'd liked her at the interview he'd had when he'd first come to work in the tower. When he'd been afraid that his speed had been lost for good.

She was beautiful, he liked her and it _was_ natural to want her. He reached his apartment and showered savoring hot, clean water, mild soap and a soft lotion for his skin. His skin had gotten so painfully dry from lye soap this winter. He brought a clean towel from the bathroom to the bedroom, not bothering to dress.

When her perfume on his sheets surrounded him for the second time that night he gave in to the fantasy his mind had been trying to summon.

Iris straddling him on the couch as she had the night before, but clad only in her red lace bra and panties, her plush lips on his, her skin silky soft under his fingertips. He imagined the softness of her breast in his hands, his tongue teasing and stroking firm nipples as she sighed over the pleasure of it. Eventually he'd slip a hand down between her thighs, slide vibrating fingers into her wet, velvet cunt while she ground against his hand.

Her hands would dig into his shoulders as she moaned and writhed over him, eyelids fluttering, lips parted, a fine sheen of sweat on her brow.

And when she finally came, she'd leaned over him for a few ragged breaths before sinking down onto to his cock, hot and cool all at once.

His dick was completely hard now.

Barry closed his index, middle finger and thumb round his cock. He could vibrate his hand, stroke his foreskin over his head while palming it and he'd be done in a few quick strokes.

He didn't.

Barry took his time. Letting fantasies play out in his mind, working himself up and down until he moaned aloud, his body tense and desperate for release. He let himself cum then. Vibrating his hand and shooting a spurt of white into the towel.

Momentarily satiated, the long day caught up with him at last . His mind and body grew quiet and Barry slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Every book an author mentioned in this passage are real, actual books that I recommend.  
> 2\. Victor Von Frankenstein has the same relationship with his 'more than sister' as canon Barry. I had to include a mention.  
> As always I dearly love comments so please leave me a few.


	5. The Original Speedster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nessa surprises Iris during an otherwise ordinary evening at home while Eobard assesses his plans for life in the 21st century.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone so this update was a little late. I got distracted reading Say Hello to Ms. Miracle last week. You guys should read it, its a lot of fun. Quick question? In other long fics that I've written I've given a quick reminder of pertinent things in previous chapters, is that something you all would want? These chapters are pretty short and for the most part I update more frequently so I didn't think it would be necessary. It's super easy for me to do so if you think it would help let me know in your comments.

Once Barry was gone Iris opened her apartment to a wave of welcoming warmth and scent. The mouthwatering fragrance of fresh baked bread mingled with oregano, basil and the pungent scent of garlic. She felt a spike of guilt for the meal she'd eaten with Barry. _How could she have forgotten that Shawna was making the two of them dinner tonight?_

Iris shut and locked the door.

"LaShawn!"

"We're in the kitchen!"

"Mommy!"  Her daughter's shout rang through the apartment accompanied by the pound of running feet. She had just enough time to slip out of her shoes and then her munchkin was attached to her legs.

"Aren't you the quick one?" Iris bent to scoop up her daughter and settle the girl on her hip. Nessa hugged her neck and gave her a kiss.

"I missed you mommy."

"I missed you too sweetheart."

"Don' wanna go Teetee Fe's."

"Didn't you have fun with Teetee Fe'?"

"Yes. Don't wanna go." She looked at Nessa's pout and recalled Barry's offer to finish later, that she should go and spend the afternoon with her daughter if she liked. How was it that a man who'd only known her for a month was more considerate of her and Nessa than the girl's father?

"Don't worry sweetheart, mommy is staying home and I'm gonna put you to bed and read to you tonight like we always do."

Nessa smiled and reached into the neck of her blouse.

"Hang on sweetheart." Iris sat her daughter down. She slipped her arm out of her sleeve and pulled down one of the cups on her bra. She scooped her daughter back up and the girl latched on immediately.

Before everything changed she hadn't imagined herself breastfeeding a child past one years old, much less a two year old. Their food sources were getting better now, but there wasn't always food available that was safe for Nessa to eat. Honey, fish, nuts could all be dangerous for small children. Whereas anything that passed through her was made safe for her daughter. So as long she kept breastfeeding her she could continue breastfeeding her. And the research she could find said it was perfectly safe to let a child  wean themselves.-A/N

Iris dropped a kiss on her daughter's forehead and made her way to the kitchen.

Shawna stood over the stove. She'd traded her work clothes for an adorable white summer dress with pink and gold roses and a pink and white checkered apron.

She took another sniff of air redolent with garlic and herbs and a familiar pungent, tang that brought home and family to mind. It reminded her of those quick dinners her parents liked to make during the week, with her favorite pasta sauce.

"Dinner smells really good." She walked over to Shawna at the stove scanning the countertops for a familiar jar.

"Thanks. By the way, you are now the owner of four completely intact jars of Prego traditional spaghetti sauce."

Iris gasped, smiling.

"You found them on the last expedition?"

Shawna nodded.

"Thank you."

In a way it was a little thing. B.A. pasta sauce, manufactured and in many ways not as good as the fresh food they made today, but stuff like this was also worth a fortune. People would trade large numbers of credits, trade significant items or work hours for a taste or scent of the old days. Four intact jars. She felt her eyes tear up a bit and smiled as she looked away.

"Everything is ready. Do you want to change or anything before you eat?"

"I need to finish feeding Nessa, but that's about it."

"That little munchkin ate an hour ago." Shawna said.

Nessa's eyes widened and the girl turned her face into her mother's breast. Iris shrugged.

"That's okay. She's growing." Iris ran a soothing hand up and down the girl's back, feeling the child's shoulder blades easily through her top. Nessa had gotten thin lately so if she made a little glutton of herself that was fine by Iris. Skinny babies worried her.  

"I'm gonna go sit down in the living room to finish nursing her then we can eat."

"Okay. I'm pretty much done, I'll join you in a minute."

Shawna kept her company while Iris nursed. They talked a bit about the last week, mainly Iris' varied projects. After about twenty minutes, Nessa done with nursing, settled on the couch next to her mother.

"I'm going to the bathroom and then we'll eat."

"Sure I'll fix our plates."

Alone, she contemplated the day she'd spent with Barry. His desire for her plain. It was clear in the way his rich green eyes followed her whenever he thought she wouldn't notice, the way he'd leaned into her when she'd rearranged his clothes, how he'd forgotten his pear and himself to watch her eat.

Iris couldn't help but feel pleased in spite of herself. She was starting to believe that Linda and Shawna were right, Barry was sweet. In spite of his desire for her he treated her like a person rather than a piece of meat, and she still couldn't get over his offer to fend for himself even though he so obviously wanted her company.

Iris finished up on the toilet, washed her hands and started toward the kitchen. She made a quick stop in her bedroom to pick up a few things she'd left out in her haste to get away from Eobard this morning and stopped to admire her reflection. Cute dress, light make up, she looked like the girl next door, she looked suddenly like the girl she'd been five years ago. She hadn't worn this little dress the entire time she'd been here at Thawne tower, she'd picked it out for Barry thinking it would appeal to him. She hadn't expected that she would look in the mirror and see a different version of herself.  

"What are you doing?" Shawna called from the kitchen. "I'm starving."

"Sorry!" Iris hurried back to the kitchen where Shawna had their plates ready and waiting.

Shawna entertained her with stories from the expedition and Iris tried not to look too obvious as she pushed her food around on her plate rather than eating it. Shawna kept her entertained throughout the meal. She was a good story teller. Her wide eyes and expressive face drew you in, made the exploration of mills, industrial parks, factories and warehouses seem tense and exciting.

Listening to her Iris found herself reconsidering the theater project. Inclement weather brought  a swift end to park or street theater and winters were especially difficult. Short overcast days and  long dark nights meant too much time indoors and that meant depression and sometimes violence. They would all benefit from a theater; perhaps the management challenges would be worth it. Space certainly wasn't an issue, there were plenty of theaters in downtown Central city.

"You're hardly eating?"

"I'm sorry Shawna. You've made this wonderful meal and I don't have much of an appetite-"

"Is it because of Pete?" The other woman supplied an answer with the question.

Iris nodded, feeling a bit guilty at the deception.

"It's terrible the way he was killed."

She nodded again.

"How did your patrol with Allen go?"

"Fine." Shawna picked up her wine glass. "Did he say anything?"

"No."

"It was pretty dull."

"You didn't do anything did you?"

Shawna looked at her with wide eyes. "Not a thing."

They finished up dinner and cleaned the kitchen. It was still a bit early. They settled on the couch and plugged in a memory stick Eobard had made for her. She still wasn't sure exactly where he had copied the material from, but it was a number of shows and cartoons that had come up in their casual conversation.

"Pwoud Famiwe." Nessa said as soon as the menu came up and Iris obliged paging through their options until that one came up. The three of them watched tv for a bit Nessa comfortably in the middle, ceiling fan whirring to stir the air while an evening breeze stirred the curtains on the living room windows.  

Nessa eventually got jumpy standing and climbing on the two of them until Iris turned off the television.

"Rough house?"

"Yeah!."

The girl jumped off the couch and ran to a clear area of living room squealing with delight. She and Shawna chased the two year old around, wrestling, swinging her up in the air and tickling her. Mother and daughter teamed up against Shawna and trying their best to overcome the meta-human's ability to wink in and out in less than a second. Eventually Iris gave up. She worked out five days a week, but there was no way.

She lounged on the floor for a while watching the two play. Nessa going from amused to annoyed before letting out a frustrated growl at Shawna's ability to disappear and reappear. Iris was about to interrupt when a determined look overcame her daughters face. Shawna disappeared and Iris didn't really see what happened next. All she knew is that the two were on the opposite side of the room, with a delighted Nessa holding fiercely to Shawna's knees while Shawna stared down at the child a stunned look on her face.

Iris did her best to go through the rest of the evening like normal. Bathing Nessa, reading her three stories and nursing her for bit until the child drifted into sleep. She cut off any attempts of Shawna's to talk about Nessa's speed at all.

When Iris was certain Nessa was soundly asleep she crept from the room shutting the door behind her with care. In about twenty minutes Nessa would be so deep into sleep nothing short of a bomb going off would wake her.

She made her way back to the living room to find Shawna lounging on the couch, feet up, eyes closed. For a moment Iris admired her lover from the archway. Long limbs crossed at the ankles, she had such slender delicate ankles. Skirt of her pretty dress falling across her hips, the inviting swell of her breast, long swan-like neck and her fro -a crown to frame her face- decorated with a pink flower. 

"I'm not sleep."

"Just resting your eyes?"

"Yeah."

The meta-human opened her eyes and sat up rubbing the spot on the couch beside her. Iris settled beside her with a smile, draping one of Shawna's long arms around her shoulder.

"Thanks for making me dinner tonight."

"You're welcome. I like doing stuff for you,"

Iris smiled and stroked one of LaShawn's wrist. She liked the other woman's delicate wrist, the way she could circle them with her forefinger and thumb, the way they look tied to her headboard with a satin scarf or belt.

She placed a kiss on the inside of LaShawn's wrist just over the pulse and was given a kiss on the forehead in return.

"So you're hoping to hide Nessa's speed?"

"Yeah."

"You can't and you probably shouldn't. Nessa is unbelievably fast. She is like a speedster protegee. She needs training. "

"Protegee?"

"Yes. Iris, what she just did in there none of the others can do. Hunter, Thawne, Harmony, Allen, Wally none of them are faster than me not head-to-head like that. In terms of raw talent-" Shawna shook her head. "Why do you want to hide it anyway?

"Eobard cares about her in his own selfish way, the more she is like him the more attached and possessive he'll get. I'll never get away from him. Plus-" She paused not wanting to share her other worry.

"What is it?"

"It's not important."

"Alright well I don't know how you're gonna get a two year old to keep a secret."

"I know, but maybe if I don't encourage it I can hide it until she gets old enough to understand the importance."

"She is smarter than any two year old I've ever been around."

"Yeah."

"Well I won't tell anybody. We could just run away. You me, Wally, your dad, Dr. Wells, Linda and Nessa of course. We all just leave one day, disappear."

Iris shook her head and tucked in closer to the comfort of the other woman's body.

"That won't work. He'll find us. He either has to let me go on his own or we have to kill him." The last was a barely audible whisper.

"He's powerful, but he isn't omnipotent Iris."

Iris brought one hand to her throat, stroking her collarbone.

"I know that, but he's too powerful. He'd find us, I know it Shawna." She sat up. " I know you think I'm just afraid of him and I am ok, but it's more than fear of what I've seen him do, it's-" She paused here, not certain if she should share her suspicions about Eobard just yet.

"Just trust that I've been in Central City twice as long as you and I know what I'm talking about."

It was Shawna's turn to sit up now. The other woman took both her hands, expression serious.

"I do trust that. And I've heard the story of what happened when Wally and Eobard fought."

Iris shivered. It was a weirdly popular story. People told it in the most unexpected places, made varying types of shows of it with puppets or actors in mask, they secretly threaded it into songs, adapted old stories to tell the tale.

For all that Eobard was a terrifying man, he wanted them to appear as some strange happy family. Of course everyone who'd been present knew what happened. But for newcomers to Central City Eobard preferred to appear as some benevolent dictator, using force or violence on those who'd earned it. The truth of course was that he was the same as every might-makes-right dictator before him. For humans in Central City, telling the truth of how Eobard Thawne took control was a way of resisting him. Of reminding themselves what he and they truly were.

"Things are different now Iris. I'm sure Wally is faster, you have many more allies and there are more places to go. We could go to Tex Bey. If even half of what I heard is true we could all be happy there."

"Tex-Bey? Where Beyonce who dominated the pop world in B.A. is now a meta-human with some kinda crazy super voice and has created a democratic, feminist paradise in Texas none-the-less. I'm sure we'll be perfectly happy there."

Iris smiled wryly and Shawna couldn't help, but return it.

"Every myth has a grain of truth in it, weren't you a lit major? You should know that. Look forget about Beyonce. My point is things change, what didn't work five years ago might work now. Don't discount the possibility we'll figure something out and I won't tell anyone about Nessa."

Iris nodded. Shawna was right, maybe. She had many allies. Dr. Wells, Shawna. Leonard Snart owed her one and perhaps Barry Allen. She hadn't known Barry long, but its was her job to figure out people from a few brief interactions. The little bit she had managed to work out suggested a strong moral character and backbone.  

"I'll try to keep an open mind," Iris said.

"Good that's all I ask for, you never know what might happen or where help could come from."

She nodded not really believing the other woman, but ready to be done with the conversation.

The other woman frowned and must have sensed her mood, because she pulled her in close and stroked her hair.

"We'll figure out a way to protect Nessa."

"Yeah."

Iris laced her fingers with LaShawn's and sighed. She didn't believe it, she couldn't believe it. But in the late evening quiet with only the whirring sound of the ceiling fan and the gentle evening breeze stealing over them. She could curl into the other woman's warmth and softness, listen to the steady sound of her heartbeat and let it be ok for a little while.

* * *

Eobard checked the locks on his office door, making sure he wouldn't be interrupted. Satisfied, he took  an Arturo Fuente Cigar from its box. Still not quite believing that they'd been found intact and somehow the salvage team had actually made sure to deliver them to him rather than selling or trading them somewhere along the way. He'd have to let Liza and Baez led more expeditions.

He took  one from the humidor, opening the plastic wrap with care. He took  a moment to check for imperfection that would mean a bitter or tainted smoke. Properly stored cigars would last for years and they had been humidor, but who knew what they had been exposed to. Of the eight in the box half of them were indeed ruined and had to be discarded.

When he finally found one intact Eobard sighed with pleasure. There was something about simple ritual of smoking cigars, taking that moment to savor their scent. Despite their deceptively rough appearance cigars were delicate and ruined easily. They required care and precision when cutting and lighting. Snip anything other than the cap, light with the wrong type of flame or too quickly,  any mistake in this simple ritual ruined all the time and skill put into  creating them.

Arturo Fuentes were a sweet mix of clove and citrus, different from the ones available in 2739; richer, and more powerful, with fullness to the taste that was lacking 600 hundred years from now.He took that first puff, a mouthful of smokey, sweet, and sharp.

Savoring the cigar Eobard let his eyes move over his office enjoying the gleam of rich woods polished to a high shine,  plush rugs, the soft yellow light of 21st century bulbs, the lights and sounds of his city carried through the windows on the evening breeze

"Gideon."

The computer activated. Creating its human shape in mid-air.

"Good evening Professor Thawne."

"Good evening Gideon."

"How may I be of service?"

"You've analyzed the data on Barry Allen. What's the likelihood of him being the Original Speedster?"

"Calculating."

Eobard took another pull from the cigar letting its richness flood his mouth.

"Based on all data presently available, 46.98%"

"Haha, Highest yet."

"Still below 50% and well below 75%."

"Yes, yes I know," he said with a dismissive wave. "And Wallace West?"

"42.76%."

"Its going up."

"Yet well below-"

"That's enough. What about Hunter Zolomon and Eliza Harmony?"

"9.785 and 17.8% respectively."

Eobard smiled. Hunter's likelihood of being the original speedster had gone down further still. Not that it had ever been high, but this was  the lowest it had ever been.

"Gideon, have I meet all of the speedsters of this era?"

"Impossible to calculate with present data."

"Fine Gideon, given the frequency of the meta-human gene to exist within the population and number of recorded speedsters in 2700, what is the likelihood that I have met all the speedsters in this era?"

This took Gideon a while longer to calculate.

"Given the factors presented the percentage is 71.428...%"

Most scholars of 2739 dismissed the Original Speedster as nothing more than a legend born of a chaotic time. Even in the Post Accelerator period people took pictures, kept journals, logs, their infamous selfies, and yet there was not one photograph of the Original Speedster. Nothing entered into any computer database until nearly a hundred years after the events in all the stories.

"Will there be anything else Professor Thawne?"

"No, thank you Gideon."

The computer shut off and Eobard unlocked his office door before sitting down at his desk.

According to the legend, the Original Speedster could know the heart and mind of a man with just a glance, heal with a touch, move through solid objects, and duplicate themselves. More importantly though, the Original Speedster was a hero, a champion of justice. A hero who in a very old and often forgotten version of the tale, fought and killed Dictator Thawne.

Eobard snorted. If he knew who they were he'd travel back in time to the moment of their birth and crush their fragile, infant skull in his fist.

Whoever this myth, this legend was they threatened everything that he was planning.

Hunter would never become anyone's hero or champion, he'd seen to that. The man had a cruel, sadistic nature with a taste for blood and suffering; it had required only a nudge in the right direction to set it free. And Liza, she was following right along in his footsteps. That left Wally West and Barry Allen.

After he'd beaten Wally four years ago he'd dismissed the idea of Wally as the original speedster. But then Wally had only been riding the lightning for eight months. When he and Wally had fought again three years ago it was only with Hunter and Liza's help that he'd beaten him. Wally didn't realize that of course.

He'd attempted to have the young speedster assassinated twice since then. Both attempts had been made  to look like accidents, Iris couldn't know or suspect that he'd arranged Wally's death. Wally had evaded both of them.

There was a third way to beat Wally of course. Eobard switched on his desktop. Gideon drew considerably more power than the machines of this era. If he couldn't beat Wally he could soften him, make him confused, conflicted. Give him someone else to care about besides his father and sister. Raise the stakes, give him more to lose and more reason to be loyal.

The other speedster's interest in Linda had been plain, though Wally had never availed himself of any of the favorites. Sending Linda to review his books six weeks ago had had the desired effect. He'd be presiding over another wedding in a few months. A wife and children of his own should keep the younger man sufficiently distracted.

He could always leave this era, return to his own time, but he liked this period and its people. Savages, the lot of them, teeming with a life and vibrancy humanity would lack in 600 years. So this simply meant destroying the Original Speedster before they destroyed him.

Barry Allen, he needed a plan for him too.

T-bars fostered an addiction; withholding them led to painful withdrawal, but that only gave him a modicum of control. A determined mind would beat an addiction. No, it was the young man's lust for _Iris West_ would be the key. She would be the start of controlling and corrupting him.

_How was his favorite little seductress doing anyway?_

He toggled through his windows,pulling up his CC feed. There were cameras in the apartments of all of his favorites, Linda,Felicity, Eric and of course Iris. When he had the time, which was rare these days, he liked to observe, gave him information that made them easier to control. He toggled through Linda, Felicity and Eric's feed to Iris West.

He maximized the window on the bedroom camera, and smiled. Iris was entertaining; and the way her partner was writhing and twisting in the sheets, they were really getting off. Eobard grinned,  he'd done good work with that girl.

He cocked his head to one side. From this angle he could only see that Iris' partner was a woman. He didn't much care who or what they did in their spare time, but he was more than a little curious. The woman shifted position and Eobard stared, Baez. He didn't have cameras on _his_ meta-humans, There were far too many of them for that and Baez had never seemed to have any interest in anyone, male or female, he'd assumed she was asexaul. Eobard chuckled and took a drag from his cigar, well you learn something new everyday.

Eobard watched the pair with a pleased grin, his dick growing hard when he saw Iris get out her strap on. The pair of them put on a better show than any porn. LaShawn with her face in a pillow and Iris giving her the pounding she deserved. He could imagine Baez's puss was all yellow and pink and wet. He let out a low growl. Where was Linda?

"Eobard?' She knocked lightly on the door and called his name.

"Come on in Linda. You're right on time."

He let her come a few feet into his office before stopping her so he could sit and admire her. She was radiant in a simple sheath dress that hugged all her curves. Her dark hair in a loosely curled bob dressed with a glittering barrette.

"You're beautiful always Linda. Pour yourself a drink and then come here to me."

Eobard locked his computer and waited patiently while Linda poured some of his best whiskey over ice. He let his eyes travel over her petite body, settling on those full, wide hips, remembering the feel of them locked around his waist.

Linda finished pouring her drink and came to settle in his lap.

"My lovely Linda." He stroked a curl back from her face. "How was young Mr. West?"

A pink blush stained her cheeks and she ducked her head not looking at him for a moment. When she looked up again she met his eyes, expression sincere and splayed her free hand against his chest.

"It was fine, but I'm happy to be back home in Thawne Tower."

"Of course you are my dear."

"No one takes care of us like you."

"No." He kissed that petite little hand of hers. "Finish your drink my dear, it's time for bed."

Eobard tightened his grip around her waist and stroked one soft thigh. Yes, he liked the 21st century, great deal and had no intention of leaving it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. I figured it was time for Eobard's POV. I hope you guy's enjoyed the peak inside his mind. Please leave me a comment letting me know what you think or if you have any questions.
> 
> A/N-Honey, fish and nuts among other foods are all age restricted for infants and toddlers. Honey for example should not be given to children less than a year old, you'd have to check the ages for fish and nuts. Giving these foods to children and toddlers while they are too young can be harmful to them and cause a variety of food allergies.


	6. The Singing Trees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its been so long in between updates. I ended up moving somewhat abruptly last month and had to find an apartment, pack and move in three weeks. My new place is an improvement, but I've had very little time on my hands. This one is also the longest chapter yet, so it was doubly difficult to get it done.
> 
> Enjoy and take a moment to leave me a comment when you do.

Iris spread out in her bed, stretching her long dark limbs so they filled the space Shawna had so recently vacated. Lily and cinnamon, LaShawn's favorite scents still lingered in the sheets.  The meta-human had gone with only a kiss on the forehead and a whispered good night to mark her departure.This was the arrangement, when they slept at her apartment. Nessa could not catch them en flagrante delicto. Secrets  and children did not go together.

Iris ground her teeth and forced herself to let her jaw loosen. _Was Shawna right? Would it impossible to hide Nessa's speed?_

She'd begun to suspect that Nessa was a speedster over the past few weeks. Little things here and there like Nessa with toys that Iris had put away or finding the girl suddenly in her bed. Nothing bad, just things not quite making sense. Finally seeing the two year old use her speed had eased one anxiety, but supplied another. Her daughter was a speedster and it was only a matter of time before someone else found out. _Children and secrets did not go together and Nessa much too young to be taught to lie._

If things were different she might have been able to send Nessa to stay with her uncle. It would get her away from her father and Wally could teach her to use her speed. _If things were different..._

Iris rolled over on her side and considered her day. She'd feed and dress Nessa, leave her with Christina, spend a few hours in the office, give a final check to the arrangements for this month's 1st Fridays party, review that theater proposal and check on that pothole situation. After that she 'd have  lunch with Nessa and Eobard if he was available, and finish up with Barry. The last brought a little smile to her lips.

If she had to sleep with someone, she could at least she could like them and  she  was starting to like him. Not in a romantic sense, but as a person. He just didn't behave like the ass-hole, she'd assumed her was. Plus she'd never fucked a speedster who was a bad lay, all those vibrations did good work.

"Crap." Iris swore. Barry would need something to wear for the 1st Fridays. She'd have to put that on the list. She hoped there was something left for men's formal wear  that would fit the theme. Picking up her cell she sat up and sent a quick text for her friends in the clothing guilds and salvage guilds with a picture of Barry.

' **1920's men's formal wear, ASAP!'**

Someone would come through with something, even if they had to buy someone else's outfit.

She got a few almost instantaneous text messages promising just that. Sighing Iris sat her cell down and gazed around  her bedroom taking in the dim quiet of early morning. The dawnlight cast a silver softness throughout her bedroom, making intriguing shapes of her plants and casting the photo of her mom in an ethereal softness. The morning light was soft and still and she savored it's quiet beauty. Until of course the pitter patter of little feet creeping across the hall broke her reverie.

Iris laid down  facing the bedroom door and and closed her eyes to feign sleep. When she heard the creak of her bedroom door being opened, she cracked opened one eye.

Iris watched her munchkin peer into the dim early morning light  before creeping across the room and clambering onto the bed.

"Mommy." The girl climbed on her and nudged. "Mommy. Mommy."

"Bwarrr!!!" Iris surged from the blankets and grabbed her daughter, tickling the girl while she giggled and squealed, until the child was breathless and laughing.

"Good morning sweetheart."

"Go' morning mommy."

The little girl leapt up and threw her arms around Iris' neck before covering her face with kisses.

"Well who's a lil' love this morning?"

"Me!"

Iris squeezed her daughter tight and gave her another kiss.

"Hungwy mommy,"  Nessa's little hand was already at the neck of her night shirt.

"Just a second sweetheart."

Iris sat up straight and settled a pillow behind her back. She got Nessa settled in her lap and undid the top two buttons of her nightshirt. Her breasts were pretty full and when Nessa latched, the milk came down with an ease that was almost a relief. The first months hadn't been easy, but over time they'd both learned. With Nessa settled in her lap Iris gazed down at her daughter and  ran a hand over the kinks and coils of her hair. The first golden rays of light were spilling through the blinds picking up hints of red and gold in Nessa's dark strands. Iris savored their softness with her fingertips and smiled down at her child.

Her biggest fears upon realizing she was pregnant had been to be trapped with Eobard Thawne forever and to not be able to give the child the love it deserved regardless of how it had come into existence. She needed to be as good a  mother to any child she might have as her own mother had been to her.

Francine West had overcome drug addiction and been twenty-five years sober when she died two years before the particle accelerator explosion.

_"Mom, Wally is named after dad's favorite uncle, who fought in the war and then came back to participate in the Alabama bus boycott. I am named after a flower."_

_Seven year old Iris West crossed her arms and looked her mother, judgement of the naming choice clear in her posture._

_"My favorite flower."_

_"I know that mom."_

_Francine laughed._

_"Do you know what the Iris represents?"_

_"Messenger of the gods, purple, royalty." The girl poked out her lips still unsatisfied._

_"Well, yes but it also means strength and wisdom."_

_Iris looked a little less doubtful now._

_"I'm always calling you tough right?"_

_"Tough-pretty girl." Iris quoted her._

_"Right because god gave you beauty, but a girl, everyone, needs more than that to thrive. You need strength and wisdom. The Iris is a flower and it is beautiful, but it shines on rainy days and thrives in the parched earth against adversity and meagerness it thrives. I want you to have that toughness and strength Iris, to thrive even in the worst of times._

She'd reflected on that conversation frequently in the last five years. Her mother could not have imagined a world so difficult, could she?

"You know what, mommy is not going to work this morning," she said making the decision just that moment. She'd given half her weekend to setting up Barry Allen's apartment."

Nessa's eyes widened with happiness.

"We're going to make breakfast, water the plants and then go to the park."

Nessa nodded and then settled one hand over Iris' heart. One thing that she had noticed as Nessa had grown was the girl's awareness of her heartbeat. Mornings and evenings, when Nessa finished nursing she rested an ear directly over Iris' heart for just a few minutes.

Iris didn't have words for what that made her feel, but it was intimate, comforting,  and there was perhaps something reverent in it that she didn't understand.

She just knew she felt connected to something other than herself, as they sat alone, the two of them breathing the same breath, doing something that could only be shared between mother and child and had been for tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of years through all human existence.

Something that Christ would have shared with Mary, something that the Buddha would have also shared with his mother, that Krishna would have shared with his mother, an intimacy that every Manifestation of God would have shared only with their mothers. Something that made her feel sacred.

* * *

 

"Mommy loves you Nessa." Iris murmured those inadequate words and in the golden light of the rising day she dropped a kiss on her daughter's forehead.  

Nessa ate her breakfast with a focus and determination that Iris rarely saw in the girl, licking every bit of oatmeal from her bowl and the last bit of sausage grease from her plate and her little fingers. When she'd finished she asked for more right away. Nessa had always had a healthy appetite, but as Shawna had observed yesterday the girl was eating more.

With a sigh Iris dumped her half eaten oatmeal into Nessa's bowl and gave the girl her sausages. It would be cold by the time she'd cooked more for Nessa anyway.

Food was given by allotment based on the number of residents in a home with adjustments for pregnancy, nursing, growing adolescents or labor intensive jobs.

With the exception of her first and third winter in the tower there had always been enough food.

She'd never forget the irony of --at seven months pregnant-- having finally convinced herself that it was ok she hadn't had an abortion and that she might be able to love her child the way it deserved, having to confront the possibility of losing the child to starvation. Eobard had looked at her with such grim determination during those last months. Taken the time  to  comfort and reassured her as they watched their dwindling food supply. He'd come through somehow. She guessed he'd run somewhere, maybe south America and brought back food, fresh, as much as she needed and even ordered several cows butchered.

She stared down at the second pot of oatmeal she was starting. _If he could just be that Eobard all the time._ She took a deep breath; he wouldn't be, nor would he be the Eobard that had taken care of her during her first year here. He wouldn't even be an Eobard who kept his promises in exchange for her willingly carrying their child to term. Iris felt her jaw clench and told herself not to think about it.

_Not while she and Nessa were having their morning together._

Nessa had finished eating by the time Iris was done cooking the second batch of oatmeal and sausages.

Iris let Nessa out of the high chair and sat her on her feet.

"Wan' go park mommy."

The child danced in place while Iris tried to get her hands and face cleaned up.

"Be still Nessa."

The girl stopped moving and looked up at her with wide blue eyes.

"I sorry."

"It's ok, just be still."

"Yes mommy."

When Nessa was all cleaned up, Iris sent her to play while she ate her breakfast.

Part of hiding Nessa's speed would be hiding how much the girl ate. She could get a slight increase, say that Nessa was nursing more, but she doubted that would be enough. Farmers, herders and hunters were allowed to sell their excess, but that was only after tithe. Someone would notice, gossip about her buying extra staples.

That left Wally.

Iris sucked her tongue. She and Wally hadn't been close for some time now. He wouldn't even look at Nessa or hold her.

"Ass-hole." Iris muttered and yelped as the handle of her fork dug into her skin. She told herself to relax and took a few deep breaths before taking another bite of her meal. This was Wally's fault anyway, he would be the one to help her. She just had to arrange a meeting. It had been a while, but he would still recognize the code they'd work out years ago. Iris would make sure to email him before she left that morning

* * *

Iris knocked on Barry Allen's door with a smile. She might have taken the morning off, but she still had work to do. Barry needed to be settled by the end of the week and there was her other job.

Even though she'd taken the morning off Iris still planned on working that afternoon. She wanted to get Barry settled in as quickly and smoothly as possible. Plus, she still had another job to do, "sweetner" was the official term. Meta-humans like Barry didn't pay to be with her or the others were always available upon request from Thawne. Barry had unfettered access to her for a week. He could spend every minute outside of his working hours fucking her if he wanted. He could do that during his working hours too, of course he'd have other problems if he did. Whatever he did or did not do told Eobard something about Barry as a person.

_Would Barry be easily controlled and manipulated? What kind of principles did he have? How readily did he compromise them? Was he kind and considerate where he didn't have to be or did power over the powerless bring out the worst?_

Eobard hadn't shared this with her, but she'd figured it out overtime.

Feeling a little less upbeat she raised her hand to knock a second time even as it opened.

Allen stood in the doorway looking over his shoulder, dark hair dripping, lean, muscular shoulders and chest bare; droplets of water running down in between his pecs. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking at something over his shoulders in his apartment. Iris took this opportunity to revisit the pleasant landscape of Barry Allen's lean muscular body. She let her eyes travel down to the wet  towel hanging  loose around his hips, his long, lean well formed legs and thighs. She brought her eyes back up stopping a moment at his abs, the slim well defined hips, all pointing straight at his-

-"Hey Iris."

"Hey Barry." She looked up and saw him smiling wide and bright, droplets of water clinging to long eyelashes, skin flushed a little pink. _Had he caught her ogling him?_

"You're early"

"I'm, sorry. I can come back."

"No it's okay. I was just finishing my shower. I thought maybe you were Hunter, he's supposed to be dropping something off. Come on in." He pulled the door wide open still smiling and Iris strode into his apartment.

"Do you want any water or anything?" He looked back into the kitchen and Iris dared a glance down at his crotch, she could make out the outline of his dick against the damp towel.

She didn't let her gaze linger, so when he looked back at her, still smiling, she was able to meet his rich, forest green eyes.

"I'll be all right. I have some work to do. Go finish your shower."

"Okay."

He nodded and backed out of the room before disappearing into the hall. She heard the door shut, but didn't hear the water start. It wouldn't be long.

She checked her text messages and saw one from Shawna. With a flutter of guilt she ignored it and fired off quick messages to her dad and reviewed the message board for First Friday's, no one had gotten back to her about Barry's formal wear. Other than that  there were a few problems, but nothing major they'd been doing it for a long time now.

There was a knock at the door, and Iris went to the peep hole, frowning at who she saw.

"Hunter." She opened the door a crack and held out her hand. "I'll give it to him."

He glared down at her.

"Allen's in the shower and I'm working. You're not allowed to be here.." She let a smug smile turn up the corners of her mouth. "So give whatever it is give it to me and I'll make sure he gets it."

Hunter continued to glare, and she could see him trying to decide if he wanted to push her on this.

"You can come in, and I'll just make sure Eobard knows that you interrupted us."

His eyes narrowed further and Iris found herself wondering if was worth it to push _him_ . He hated her influence with Eobard, hated the fact that _he_ could no longer use sex to put her in her place. The anger disappeared from his face, replaced by an expression of boredom and disdain.

"Here," he put a small wooden box in her hand. "Just make sure Allen knows I need it back in a couple days."

"Sure thing Hunter." Iris shut the door in his face.

She sat the box on the coffee table and settled on the couch. Iris took a moment to fluff her hair and crossed one leg over another. She'd chosen another innocent, youthful dress for the afternoon, short, white with flowers. V-neck to show a little cleavage and some ruffles; it was very cute and the white made her skin pop.  She'd only just gotten settled when Barry came striding down the hall, dressed in one of the button-downs they'd picked out yesterday, with a pair of jeans and converse.

Iris glanced at Barry out of her periphery. He was wearing one of the button downs she'd helped him pick-out yesterday with a pair of jeans and his beloved converse.She flicked her eyes back to her phone, and frowned as if what she saw required all of her concentration. Giving him ample opportunity to study any part of her. A swift well timed glance, showed he took it.

She smiled and felt a bit of guilt at that. Shawna believed she hated her job and that was true, but she didn't hate it all the time. She couldn't let herself hate it, _all_ the time. Iris tossed her hair and looked up from her phone.

"Hunter left that for you. He said to remember he needs it back."

"Yeah  of course."

Whatever it was, Barry set it on the bookcase she'd acquired for him.

"So what now?"

"Well, we've still go to get through your both your employee and special employee orientation  as well your citizenship orientation. And we've got to make sure you have proper attire for this month's First Friday."

"First Friday?"

"It's a big party that we have every month. All special employees are expected to attend, there is entertainment, sometimes we dress up, sometimes we dress down. Its' a big deal."

Barry nodded, twisting his hands together. He didn't seem nervous and Iris decided it was just a habit.

"Okay so what is this month's theme?"

"The roaring twenties. Shawna found a truckload of vintage, 20's glamour outfits on one of her expeditions a few months back."

Barry nodded.

"I don't think I have anything for that."

"That's ok. I've put out a few feelers for it. Something will come up."

"I'll leave it in your capable hands then."

There was another knock.

"Must be lunch." Barry smiled. "I didn't know if you'd eaten yet so I ordered for both of us."

"That's sweet, thanks."

Barry opened the door and a young man stood there with a basket.

"Where should I put them?"

"Table is fine."

The delivery boy went to the table and set out three covered lunch trays, as well as a basket of hush puppies and a dish of peach cobbler. The warm, heavenly scent of Judy's filled the air and Iris' mouth watered in anticipation.

"Bon appetite. We'll be back for the trays and baskets at dinner time. Just set them outside your door."

"Will do thanks man. What's your name so I can rate you?"

"Ben, you're welcome."

Ben left and Barry gave Judy's a quick rating on his cell along with a thank you to Ben.

"I didn't know what you'd like so I ordered each special. You've got your choice of catfish of salmon croquettes or fried chicken with spaghetti."

"Thanks Barry."

He pulled out her chair and they sat down to lunch.

Iris spent the next few afternoons with Barry. He ordered lunch for them everyday. They chatted while eating; sometimes talking about Central City, other times about the past few years. He told her a bit about Ithaca, a small city of just over a million people before the accident. In the P.A. it had shrunk into several small communities no more than 20,000 a piece scattered throughout its suburbs. The rest of its inhabitant had died of starvation, from lack of critical medications, scattered or perhaps been taken. That was one of the worst things she thought; people simply disappeared now and you never saw or heard from them again. Maybe they dropped dead in between destinations, maybe someone murdered them or maybe they were safe and well, but had no way to send a message.

Barry didn't talk about his family when he talked about Ithaca, but he did talk about CSI work.

"Why didn't you become a cop?" Iris asked taking a bite out of a hot buttered biscuit.

"I wanted to be sure I actually did some good. Cops arrest people, lawyers prosecute people, but none of them can be sure the laws is applied justly every time. In science you only deal with the facts. The DNA was there or it wasn't, rigor mortis had set in or it hadn't. If there was smoke in the lungs than they died after the fire not before and it doesn't really matter if people like those facts or not."

Iris nodded, impressed.

"You know I wanted to be a journalist for similar reasons actually."

Barry looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face.

"How so?"

She leaned forward reaching for a piece of fried zucchini and paused a moment as if in thought, but in actuality tempting Barry with a view of her cleavage. She watched his face from under lowered lashes and suppressed a smile when his eyes dropped to her cleavage. He'd been doing that, checking her out when he thought she wouldn't notice.

"Well," she leaned back in her chair. "A good journalist deals with facts, digs until they find the truth. Like Mason Bridge's work on Donald Trump and his alternative facts."

Barry chuckled. "Not all heros wear tights."

"The man inspired me to pursue journalism, he revived journalism."

"So we have a desire to do and pursue justice in common."  He gave her one of those thoughtful bemused smiles, it softened his face and crinkled the corners of his eyes. Iris found herself returning it as her skin grew warm. Feeling uncertain Iris  ducked her head tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

When lunch was finished they went through more Central City law. It was a bit like prepping for the U.S. constitution test in eighth grade. She quizzed him on essential Central City law until she felt confident he was ready for his test and then let him loose on the computer modules. Of course he went through the test a lot faster than anyone else she'd ever coached. The computer produced a certificate of completion and Iris gave it her e-signature and he was all set.

"Is there anything we haven't covered?"

"Uh- you know, I haven't seen the singing trees."

Iris' eyes went wide. "Seriously, you've been here nearly a month and you haven't seen them?"

"No," Barry shrugged "they came up in conversation and everyone just laughed and wouldn't explain."

"Well it is kinda unbelievable and difficult to explain." Iris checked the time, it was still a couple of hours before supper. "Come on."

There were residential elevators in Thawne Tower and public elevators; both met at the 5th floor. If you were in the residential section you boarded an elevator with an operator, rode down to five, signed out and took a public elevator down to the lobby or one of the other public floors. It was one of the several security measures for Thawne tower.

They didn't have many, not like you might have had before the accident. Security personal, emergency stairs accessed through a basic keypad that unlocked automatically if the fire alarm were pulled, sign-in and sign-out sheets, and closed circuit cameras in the hallway.

It wasn't much for a government building, especially during these times, but the only other option was to turn the tower into a medieval fortress. The real security was the reputation of the meta-humans living in it.

As they entered the elevator Iris greeted the operator -a large, imposing white man, armed with a knife and God knew what else- with a smile.

"Brett."

"Hey Iris, Mr. Allen." He nodded at both of them and then looked to her with a smile. "How's lil' Ms. Nessa?"

"She's great. Her favorite thing nowadays is Ms. Judy's peach cobbler."

"It's my favorite thing too." Brett chuckled and started the elevator.

"Barry have you actually been introduced to Brett?"

He shook his head.

"Barry Allen, Brett Harger, Brett Harger Barry Allen." The two men shook hands.

"Nice to met you man."

"Same."

The elevator came to a stop at the fifth floor and they headed for the public elevators. The elevator bank was crowded, but space opened up for them as always. She and Barry were the first on an elevator going down and Iris insisted that everyone join. The rest of the passengers crowded and they rode in silence to the lobby.

"I'd been meaning to ask. What's with the old school cages?"

"Security. It's hard to sneak an invading force into a place when someone has to lock and unlock the elevators for you.

"Good point. Has the Tower been invaded," Barry asked as he held the door open for her.

"Once, the first year I was here."

"Oh was it-" Barry paused clearly uncertain what to say or ask

"It wasn't that big of deal." A warm gust of wind blew over them then stirring her hair and ruffling her short skirt. Iris smiled savoring the caress of warm air against her skin.

"The weather is perfect today. You're gonna love the singing trees.

Rather than walk, they took a rickshaw down to the park. Downtown Central City was bordered by  the crater that used to be Star Labs on the south, the Torte river on the east and the appalachias on the north. Central City Park sat right on the river, it stretched the length of downtown Central City, running along Park Boulevard. The Singing Trees were near the southern end of the boulevard.

"There's the crater, where Star Labs used to be." Iris pointed and squinted into the distance as the rickshaw driver turned them toward the park. Though the crater was still a pile of rubble, trees and plants had sprung from the earth surrounding it.

"Wow! That's where the explosion happened?"

She nodded and for a moment they were silent; both wondering what might have been.

"We can see it after…"

"Yeah." He nodded

They turned past the crater toward the park and Iris watched Barry's face as Central City Park came into view. First, his confusion as he took in the sight of  ice rink on a 70 degree spring day surrounded by trees decorated with winking Christmas lights, then-

"Is that," he squinted and looked at her and back at the park with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "Is that ice?"

"Yeah, yeah it is."Iris couldn't help but grin; she never got tired of seeing a new citizen's reaction to the Singing Trees.

The rickshaw driver pulled up alongside the curb. Barry stepped out and turned to her with his hand extended, expression still dumbfounded.

"Thank you Barry." Iris let him help her out.

"So what is going on here?"

"You know the explosion changed more than people, right?"

"Meta wolves."

Iris nodded, "It also changed the land and the trees in some places."

Barry's brows drew together.

"You mean the trees literally sing?"

They approached the park and Iris watched Barry's face as the sound of a familiar and catchy pop tune filled the air.

_"-give me a sigggnnnn, hit me baby one more time."_

Barry stared down at Iris, not understanding what his ears were telling him.

"What is happening?"

"Welcome to the singing trees Barry Allen," Iris grinned.

_"-my lonely nights are killing me. I must confess-"_

He laughed, "I don't understand. They've been like this since the accident?"

Iris shrugged.

"No one does. The ice rink doesn't melt, the trees are lit up like Christmas and they sing or play 90's hits for the most part."

"Just  90's?"

"Disco, Mowtown, lately something that has to be Native American from like God knows how long ago."

"Native American?"

"Sometimes, mostly 90's hits though."

"Britney Spears?."

Iris shrugged.

Baby, One More Time, came to its abrupt end and the pair walked further into the trees. Barry leaned against the fence around the rink. There were a couple of skaters there, one young man who was talented enough to do a couple of jumps and spins.

_"Don't speak I know just what you're thinking."_

"I know this one, her voice is familiar." Barry  frowned, concentrating as he tried to summon a memory.

"Its Gwen Stefanni, during her No Doubt days."

"Oh yeah, Sweet Escape. You really know your 90's pop."

"Nah, Eobard knows his 90's pop."

"Oh. He doesn't seem like a 90's pop guy."

Iris shrugged and they fell silent for a moment. Barry gave her another of those up-downs and Iris lost a battle with a smile. They watched the skaters for a bit while Barry listened in rapt amazement.

"It's not even just singing, there are instruments and everything."

"No one really understands it."

Don't Speak came to its dramatic end and another song with a catchy dance beat started and Barry started to grin.

As Michael Jackson's classic vocals came from the trees.

_"Do you remember when we fell in love…."_

"Oh my God, this is like my favorite oldie!" He declared, eyes sparkling.

"Really?"

"Yeah, because everyone has that high school crush and it's innocent and you're in love, but you're just fifteen and its over one day for no real reason. Then you see them one day and they have an adult job or a thousand kids or they are with someone else and you can't believe that much time has passed."

Iris had to nod.

"Who was your high school love?"

"Becky Cooper." Barry shook his head, a wistful smile on his face.

"What was she like?"

"She loved to cook and eat, always brought these amazing lunches." Barry shrugged and looked at her. "She had this amazing dark hair, long and soft," he met her eyes."And her eyes were dark, but if you watched them in the afternoon light you could see rich golds and red, they were beautiful."

Iris ducked her head as her skin suddenly grew heated.

"What happened to her?"

"She died a couple years ago, simple accident, secondary infection killed her," Barry sighed.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, high school was a very long time ago and we've all lost people."

"Yeah," Iris nodded her hand settling a moment at her collarbone.

"What about you, who was your high school love?"

"Oh, De'Andre Marcos."

""Dramatic name."

"Simple guy, very cute, very cute. He has five kids now, a rudely healthy wife, runs a plentiful farm downstate, pays his tithe on time every year."

"Good Central City citizen."

"Model citizen. This is a great song."

Barry nodded still grinning and Remember the  Time came to a rather abrupt and dramatic end.

There was a short pause and Iris looked at him grinning expectantly as the next song started small and soft.

_"If I should stay I would only be in your way-"_

"My parents used to play this her music alll the time." Barry declared expression incredulous.

"Mine too."

"Didn't she die of a drug overdose?"

"Yeah, she had a beautiful voice. I can't remember her name though, Mariah Something maybe."

"Whitney Austin?" Barry shook his head. "No Whitney Houston!"

"Yup that's her. Didn't it play in like a 90's movie?"

"Yeahhh,The Bodyguard, I remember her running through some clouds." Barry grinned and Iris eyed him suspiciously. "I might have had a little crush on her when I was kid." He shrugged. "She was a beautiful woman, with a beautiful voice and in danger."

Iris laughed at that.

There was that pregnant pause where everyone who'd ever heard this song new what came next, Whitney's beautiful voice rising like the sun bursting over the horizon, soaring above them, birds in flight.

Unable to help herself, Iris burst into song with her and was surprised to hear a somewhat hesitant male tenor harmonize with her for just one perfect moment. Then Whitney's voice soared where neither could follow and they dissolved into giggles as she outlasted them with ease.

The song finished and she met his eyes, catching flecks of gold in the afternoon light as he grinned a self-conscious smile.

"You're pretty good you know," he said.

"You too."

The next song started, a familiar aughts rap tune, that she'd never heard in the trees. She looked down at the ground for a moment to cover her reaction. Barry had no idea why the songs changed. The trees were playing it for him or if she dared to flatter herself, his reaction to her.

"T.I.?"

Iris shrugged and Barry looked at her in disbelief.

"Mostly 90's, not all 90's."

"This song is pretty silly, guy boasting about his money."

Iris shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't know,  it's kind of sweet when you listen to the lyrics."

"Is it?" He looked at her disbelief evident in his face.

"The sentiment. She can have whatever she likes. anything that is within his power to give, he will get, happily with grace. Making her happy, makes him happy."

She met his eyes on the last words and saw his ears redden.

"I-I hadn't thought about it that way." Barry ran a hand over his hair settling it on the back of his neck and cut his eyes away, but not before giving her another up down.   

Iris pressed her lips together to hide her mirth. She was getting better at reading him; the song was hitting a little close to home now that he was paying attention to it. The trees were never wrong. _Well almost never._

The song faded to its end and the opening notes of Baby One More Time started.

"Already?"

"Yup."

"You've gotta be kidding?"

"Nope." Iris shook her head. "For months it was just those same four songs, Baby One More Time, Don't Speak, Remember the Time and I Will Always Love You.  It was great at first, trees that played pre-accelerator music, but then the songs didn't change. People came out and played music for them with old school boom boxes, played for them live, sang to them, nothing worked.  No one came here anymore and people started talking about cutting them down."

"No," Barry protested.

Iris held up a forestalling hand.

"At the same time people started telling stories about how if you came here late at night the trees might play something that spoke to whatever weighed heavy on your heart."

"You ever try it?"

"No," Iris lied. She had no desire to talk about that time. "The songs did change, though. Mostly during the daytime when lots of people are out, 70's at first, then motown, and just all kinds of stuff."

"It's so bizarre."

"No one has any clue about how they learned the other songs or how they sing and play with full instruments; someone did point out that it was all radio edits, for the modern songs anyway."

Barry shook his head.

"Do the lights ever go out?"

"In the winter, when the trees are dormant, the lights go out and they stop singing."

"Just in time for Christmas."

"Yup."

Barry chuckled.

"Central City is unbelievable."

"Yeah, it is."

She smiled and I Will Always Love You started again. Barry gave her another of those up-downs. This time though, his eyes met and held hers. She could see her own face in them, the winking lights of christmas trees in the spring and the glint of golden afternoon sunlight.

His skin flushed pink under her gaze and he bit his bottom lip for just a second. Emboldened, she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand before catching his chin with her fingertips, and pulling his lips down to hers.

 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In spite of the timing this chapter was inspired by Terri Pratchett, not Duet. I absolutely loved Duet, but I wrote the end of this chapter back in October. I wanted to have a meta that was absurd and ridiculous instead of dangerous and frightening. I hope it made you laugh. Wally will be showing up in the next chapter and we'll learn more about the estrangement between him and Iris.
> 
> Thanks for reading and when you've done please take a moment to comment and let me know what you think.


	7. Breached

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and Barry get closer until another speedster appears in Central City.

Barry's open-mouthed kisses moved along her neck, lips moving as he whispered praise against her skin, his warm breath evaporating the moisture of his kisses. Iris let out a little sigh of pleasure at the feel of his lips and tongue moving against her skin as she threaded her fingers through his silk-soft hair.

He was lighting her on fire, slowly, slowly, her body rousing in anticipation of his touch. HIs lips reached the neck of her blouse, and she tugged an arm free exposing her decolletage for his kiss.

"Barry," She sighed his name, and his kisses found the edging of her brassiere. Iris had made sure to pump before coming to meet him; she didn't want to find out what he would do if he got a mouth full of milk. He tugged at the cup and paused.

"Wait, wait, wait-"

He lifted his head, and Iris let her eyes flutter open. She'd pulled him deeper into the park away from the paths and prying eyes. It was quiet here, no people, no song just the sound of birds and sunlight filtering through the tree's leaves.

"Wait for what?" She asked.

"I told you I wouldn't-"

"You wouldn't buy a woman that doesn't want you?"

He nodded. Light and shadow played upon his face, and she reached up to caress his cheek with one hand.

"That's nice, commendable, a little sexy, but," she took one of his hands to her lips and kissed it before planting it between her breast. He licked his lips swallowing when she did, and Iris smiled before sliding his hand down over her abdomen. She bit her lip as she his slid hand over her crotch, and finally up under her skirt to the gusset of her panties; letting him feel that they were soaked through with desire.

Barry's eyes grew dark with lust, and he leaned toward her as if drawn by a magnet and it was Iris' turn to lick her lips.

"Does that feel like I don't want you?"

He shook his head, mute.

He kissed her again and again, then stopped.

"Now what?"

"Just wait here for a second, maybe a minute. I'll be right back." He tugged the sleeve of her blouse back in place and took off.

Iris folded her arms and waited.

He better not keep her waiting too long. Iris pulled out her phone to check her messages. She had a bunch, but a quick scan showed three that she was looking for. Two separate clothiers had come through with formal wear for Barry; more important though was ta reply from Wally about their meeting.

_Hey Sis,_

_I'm good. Saw dad recently he says to tell you hi. Had a great visit with Linda give her my love. Spring planting is nearly done. A couple of funny stories about that I'll share with you later. We solved the mouse the problem and that new breed of herd dog is looking promising. Did you know that poodles used to be hunting dogs?_

Iris smiled. They'd come up with a code for communicating via text or email long ago. She wasn't sure what this message was, she'd have to sit down and decipher it, but it didn't take all of this to say no.

Wally would help, he had better.

Barry came whooshing back then, stirring fallen leaves and sending a flock of squawking birds into the sky protesting his disturbance. Iris put her phone back in her purse and put her work out of her mind.

He smiled.

"Wanted to wash my hands."

"How very considerate."

Barry cupped her face and leaned in close, pausing, his lips inches from her own, his mint sweetened breath warm and soft on her skin. Iris watched his eyes move over her face, dark, heavy-lidded, hungry as he savored her for just a moment before pressing his lips to hers in one sweet, warm kiss and then another and another. His tongue soft and velvet slick against her own, this kiss melting into one long, endless kiss: honeyed warmth poured over her, into her and she swayed against his long, lean frame for support the contact between their two bodies stirring still more heat.

One of the hands caressing her cheek moved down making its way along her throat, caressing the skin there with gentle fingers before moving further along. Iris moaned and arched her back when he cupped a breast, and she felt it in her nipples with a corresponding quiver in her clit.  

He moved his kisses over her throat again following the path his hand had taken moments earlier as the hand on her breast moved lower, pausing a moment to stroke the silky skin of her inner thigh before sweeping aside the cotton crotch of her panties to stroke her cunt.

"Barry." His name came out in a long low moan, and she pushed against his hand.

His lips found hers again, she could feel the slight curve of an open-mouthed smile, and then he was kissing her while the hand between her thighs stroked and massaged the area around her cunt, teasing her, delaying the gratification of his touch, before finally splitting her lower lips.

Another moan escaped her, and she let Barry push her back against the tree with his other hand while his fingers mapped the length of her slit in a long slow stroke against tender, sensitive flesh. Down and then up and then down again, a leisurely exploration of her body as its response to his touch: clit twitching, u-spot swelling, and her vag pulsing and gripping for him.

"Barry yes." Iris urged him on. His fingers worked back and forth in a steady rhythm as she drove her hips against him, hands gripping shoulders as each heated wave of pleasure passed through her.

"There." She whimpered it and then he vibrated his fingers against her u-spot, massaging the tender little spot that was the source of so much heady pleasure in little circles until she was weak, writhing, crying out her pleasure in his ear as it crested one heady wave after another washing through her and gushing out over his hand in a wave of wet heat.

Iris let herself lean against him savoring each lesser wave of pleasure as it pulsed through her, while his hard-on pressed against her stomach.

Iris lifted her head from his shoulders and grinned as she caught him tasting her on his fingers.

"You could do that too if you want."

His face reddened, and Iris' smile grew.  She slipped one hand down to stroke his hard-on through his jeans.

"We've got to do something about this."

Anticipation lit his eyes, and they froze at the sounds of booted feet and voices coming in their direction.

"So like I was saying-"

Barry scooped her up and was whisking her back to the tower. Downtown Central City passed in one long blur of buildings and people, all gone before she had time to register them. In a matter of minutes, he was setting her on her feet in front of her door.

It took Iris a second to get her bearings, but when she did, she smiled.

"This is even better."

She fumbled in her purse for her door keys.

'When we get inside Barry-"

The alarm blared over the loud speakers then.

"All special personnel!!!" Eobard's angry shout followed the alarm. "There is a female intruder in the building, a speedster dressed in black stop her!!!"

As if queued the stairwell doors at the end of the hall opened, and blur of black and silver lighting whooshed past them followed by Barry's red streak. Iris felt her stomach drop, all of it happening much for her too fast as the hand in her purse found her truncheon.

The silver lighting turned, bouncing itself off the wall and came back in her direction to skid to halt directly in front of her and dissolved itself into a woman.

Iris swallowed. The woman was tall, shapely, even in her loose fitted black clothing, face and hair covered with a black hood. The only visible part of her was a strip of blurred skin around eyes glowing with silvery light. She took an involuntary step backward. Barry's red blur came back down the hall. The woman moved faster than Iris could see and Barry ran into her fist.

Then the other speedster was on him, all over him moving fast enough to separate into one, two, three, four, five distinct copies of herself. Iris gasped in horror as five of them began beating Barry, punching and kicking him until he collapsed to the floor. Her brain told her to run, escape but her feet were rooted to the floor. Not that a shut door would keep her safe. That didn't stop Iris from pulling her truncheon from her purse and extending the weapon to its full length.

The speedster's attention turned back to Iris, duplicates disappearing as her movements slowed. Before she could register the movement, the woman was standing in front of her and Iris thought she saw dark skin around the silver glow of lighting that clouded her eyes.

Barry let out a groan, and she glanced in his direction. She saw him try to sit up and collapse with another cry of pain. Iris swallowed there was no help coming from him. She turned her attention back to the intruder.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?'

The speedster stared at her breathing hard, arms out at her sides, fingers flexing. Iris read indecision in every line of her posture.

"I don't know why you came here, but maybe I can help you."

 _"Mom-"_ It was one breathless word, and Iris frowned.

The stairwell door opened then, and both women's heads snapped in that direction.

Hunter and Liza came zooming out of the hall, and Iris saw Shawna for just a second and then Shawna was in between her and speedster shoving the other woman backward.

The mystery woman spared a glance for Iris and took off a streak of silver lightning, hot and crackling. Hunter and Liza gave chase blurs attempting to follow her path all three diving out the open window at the end of the hall.

Barry let out another groan than and she went to his side.

"Barry are you alright?"

* * *

I hope you guys liked it. I think this is the shortest chapter yet, but it ends at a good place. As always I look forward to any question or comments. I'm also running a couple other Flash series. [WestAllen Downtime](https://archiveofourown.org/series/696438) and [SuperWest](https://archiveofourown.org/series/691968) (romantic) if you haven't done so already check 'em out.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Silver Lightning & Blue Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody. As always thanks for reading. How is everybody feeling after the hiatus is over? I know a lot of people were disappointed, myself included. Hope you all have a great weekend. Enjoy and leave me some notes at the end.  
> Barry takes a beating and the identity of the mystery speedster is revealed (let's not drag this out. :P)

Since updates are taking a little longer lately, I've decided to add reminders of what happened in the previous chapter when necessary.

previously in After the Accelerator-

_Chapter 5, The Original Speedster:_

_According to the legend, the Original Speedster could know the heart and mind of a man with just a glance, heal with a touch, move through solid objects, and duplicate themselves. More importantly, though, the Original Speedster was a hero, a champion of justice._

* * *

 

The agony of bone striking bone flashed through his skull in searing pain. The world went blinding, brilliant white and as a deafening series of claps roared in his ears.

Then his body smacked the ground chin first, his teeth catching his tongue. Barry's mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood and adrenaline, his vision cleared sharpened to the all too familiar bright focus of adrenaline induced clarity. For a handful of seconds -a long time for a speedster- Barry thought he could fight her.

Iris needed him, and adrenaline was the most potent performance enhancer he'd ever had the pleasure of using. Barry pushed up on his fist and sprang to his feet bouncing in an adrenaline high as the pain in his skull vanished. His fist came up in a boxer's defensive position just in time to block a kick. He never saw the second one coming.

And then she was everywhere, silver lightning streaking around him, blazing hot each blow charged with such heat that it would have burned had he not been made to ride the lightning. He tried, he didn't know what she would do to Iris or any of Central City's other residents, but for every blow he blocked three found their target, for every kick he dodged two connected. And landing a blow of his own? His fist found empty hot air.

He was staggered and went down counting her in five different places, at least as the world spun around him. A sudden searing abdominal pain punched through the pain blocking wall of adrenaline, and he collapsed.

She stood over him for a long moment a nightmare figure in black surrounded by glowing white lightning as his scientist's brain reminded him that white flames, white lightning were the hottest they could burn. Hotter than Mr. Thawne or Hunter's yellow and surely hotter than his red. This woman was the fastest speedster in Central City, and with that final thought, the world went black.*

 

"Allen? Allen?"

He heard his name through a haze of dizziness and pain.

"Can you hear me?"

He tried to answer, but the only thing that came out was a whimper of pain. HIs entire body was one long ache, but there were three especially awful pains. His head ached with a throbbing, zinging fierceness that ebbed and flowed in time with his heart. His right side flared to fire with every breath in, and in his abdomen was a dull stinging pain.

"Open your eyes, Allen."

Why was she asking him to do things? He would heal, if he could just pass out.

"Barry please."

Iris' plaintive voice reached, and he decided maybe he shouldn't worry her. Somehow he cracked heavy lids and saw both Iris and Baez smile in response.

Then Baez was tugging at his face, peering into his eyes.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"One." His tongue was thick in his mouth in a mouth filled with the salty tang of blood.

"Do you know what date it is?"

That was an unfair question, who could be certain of the date anymore, but he decided to focus on her questions because they distracted him from the pain.

"It's Thursday, fifth year after the accelerator."

"Good enough." She smiled, and he decided that Shawna was pretty too when she smiled.

"I don't think he's concussed."

It was Iris' turn to smile, and he might have smiled too except that lancing pain shot through his head.

"We need to get him out of the hall."

"My apartment is right here. We can put him in my room."

"Alright."

Iris moved away, and Baez's attention turned to him.

"Allen, can you sit up?"

"I- maybe-" Shawna was right, he really didn't need to lie here in the hall.

"Well take it slow. From what Iris tells me you hit your head pretty hard."

Barry lifted his head, and the shooting pain that had been with him flared as the world spun. He shut his eyes against it as gentle hands caught him.

"Don't worry about it, Allen. We'll get you up."

He heard Iris and Baez's voice as if from far off. They whispered in tones too soft for him to hear while Barry lay on the floor trying to wait out the pain. He knew his speedster healing would repair all of the damage, but his speedster metabolism meant no pain relief while he healed and that would be hours.

"Barry," Iris called him again. "We're going to get you up okay."

"And then I'll do the rest, Allen."

"Yeah."

The two women eased him into sitting position and Barry clenched his hands into fists as the pain from his fractured rib flared to life.

"Allen this is gonna be the hardest part, but we'll make it as easy on you as possible."

The two women took an arm a piece and draped it over their shoulders.

"On three," Shawna said, and he saw Iris nod. "Quick and smooth."

"One, two, three."

Sitting up had been hard, but standing was worse. Baez's grip on his right arm pulled at his cracked rib, while Iris jostled his left side and that shooting pain in his head amped up another notch.

He screamed he was certain of it because he heard their apologizes through a haze of agony and then something altogether strange happened. He stopped. He was vaguely aware of existing and then his battered, weary, agonized body was back and then it was gone again, and then it was back again, and then it was gone and then he was staring up at the ceiling while the scent of roses wafted up around him, Iris' scent.

The pain in his ribs had lessened, and he looked down to see Shawna sitting next to him on what must have been Iris' bed, holding a cold compress to his side.

"That feels so much better. Thank you."

She smiled.

"You're welcome. Iris is getting my medical bag."

"Oh."

"How's your head?"

He tensed as another pain shot through his head. It seemed to have lessened already.

"Better, I think."

"The joys of speed healing."

"Yeah."

"I'm worried about this though." She pointed to his left side.

He looked down and saw that his abdomen was slightly swollen.

"Internal bleeding."

She nodded.

"I think I can heal it faster. Move the compress."

Barry rested his hands over his abdomen and closed his eyes. He'd never needed to do this for himself. He could probably vibrate his abdomen at the proper megahertz, but controlling his hands for things like this was easier. The searing pain in his side lessened to a dull ache and Barry opened his eyes to see Shawna staring at him in wonder, even as a fog of exhaustion settled over his brain, the last effects of the adrenaline finally wearing off.

His arms slid to his side, and Barry yawned.

"What did you do?" She stared at him in wonder. "You look better already?"

"None of the other speedsters do it?" Barry's sentence ended in a sudden yawn.

She shook her head."Not that I know of."

"You know that certain frequencies promote healing, fusion, tissue repair right? Well a cat's purr matches that frequency and if a cat can do it-" Barry finished his sentence with a yawn.

"So can you?"

He yawned again, and Barry felt his eyelids drooping, the last hour suddenly catching up with him.

"Just vibrating my hands at that frequency."

"So you can heal with a touch?" Wonder turned to awe, and she took a step forward before stopping herself.

"I wouldn't go- nevermind." Barry finished too drained to explain. The last hour caught up with him then. Barry shut his eyes and fell into a sleep so deep not even the appearance of the mystery speedster could have woken him.

* * *

 

The tower elevators had locked the moment the alarm had been pulled, and they'd stay that way until Thawne gave the all clear. Shawna and Christina's apartments were both on the eighth floor. Iris hurried down the stairs desperate to make certain Nessa was alright. The stairwell was closer to Shawna's apartment, so she grabbed the medical bag first and then hurried to Christina's. There had only been one intruder that they knew of. At best though the alarm, her father's angry voice, the commotion, the lights it had probably frightened her.

She knocked on the door hard and fast, Shouting her name through the wood at the sound of movement in the hall.

"Nessa is perfectly safe." Christina greeted her with those words.  "Her father came down only moments ago. Come on."

Iris followed Christina into the back room and felt relief wash over her when she saw them. Eobard sat with Nessa in his arms, the girl clinging to him, her face red, breathing shallow. Iris was right she'd been crying.

"It's ok, sweetheart."

Iris felt a tickle of annoyance at his tenderness with their daughter and frowned before setting Shawna's medical bag down.

"Nessa honey?"

"Mommy." The girl shifted so she could face her, but stayed in her father's lap.

"What's the medical bag for?" Eobard asked.

"Allen." She said. "The other speedster." She looked pointedly at Nessa.

"Nessa sweetheart go with Ms. Christina for a few minutes."

"'On' wan' go."

She pouted, and Iris sighed. Nothing made Nessa happier than the three of them in one room.

"I know sweetie, but be a good girl for mommy and do as daddy says."

Nessa pouted and looked at the three grown-ups reading their expressions.

"Yes, mommy."

Nessa climbed out of her father's lap and let Christina scoop her up and take her from the room.

"What happened? Are you ok?"

"She was so fast Eobard." Iris shook her head and brought a hand to her throat stroking her collarbone, eyes focused on the wood grain of the floor. "I didn't know what she was going to do. Barry fought her, but- she was everywhere at once. I counted her in at least five different places at the same time."

She didn't realize Eobard had moved until she felt his hands on her arms, squeezing them gently.

"We haven't had an intruder in a long time," Eobard said.

"No." Iris looked up at him, and for the first time, Iris noticed an ugly purple bruise on his jaw and a healing cut on his forehead.

"She got you too."

"Yeah," he said dryly. "I'm going to join Liza and Hunter. Take Nessa back upstairs. I'll leave Vertigo here with you."

"Okay, but I have Barry and LaShawn upstairs already. There aren't any other intruders in the building. Vertigo might be able to help you."

He considered a moment before nodding.

"I'll check on you and Nessa when I get back."

"You don't have to."

"I'll check you both when I get back."

"Okay," Iris acquiesced.

When he was gone Iris collected Nessa from the kitchen, explained that daddy had to go work, grabbed Shawna's medical bag and hurried back up to her apartment.

She found Shawna sitting on her settee reading Sula, while Barry slept in her bed.

"I guess you don't need this," Iris whispered and set the medical bag down.

"I'll check his heart and a few vitals, but he seems to be sleeping normally."

"Alright. I'm gonna take care of Nessa."

She left Shawna rummaging through her medical bag. Nessa wanted to nurse, but Iris still needed to cipher Wally's message. Mother and daughter settled in the rocking chair in Nessa's bedroom, and Iris ran Wally's message through cipher while she fed her daughter.

It was all she could do to bite back a curse when she read Wally's message; the younger speedster was coming here tonight.

She did a quick blast to her feed:

**'Some random just attacked the Tower. Unbelievable!'**

She hoped he'd see that and know to stay away. There would be no sneaking out of the Tower tonight, no secret meeting. She'd send him a longer message using their cipher, but it would take a little time to craft that.

' **But you're ok?'**

**'Yeah, we're safe. Safest place in CC, security everywhere'**

**'Good.'**

Wally wasn't stupid he'd know better than to come to the Tower now. Relieved she sat her phone down and cradled Nessa.

"You almost done baby?" The girl continued to nurse, and Iris stroked her hair kissing her forehead. Iris thought over the incident report she would write while Nessa nursed. If Eobard and the others didn't bring back this speedster, every detail that she could add to her report might aid in catching the woman later. Not that she had much to add.

Still, there were other things she could do. Put feelers out, see if anyone knew anything about speedsters or look for hints of speedster activity in nearby communities. They'd have to improve security somehow. If Eobard and the others didn't catch her, there was no reason to assume she wouldn't be back.

"Hey?" Shawna's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Iris looked up to see the other woman standing in the doorway. Nessa had finished nursing and was dozing against her breast. The excitement must have worn her out.

"Allen should be fine. He'll need the night to rest, but I'd guess he'll be completely healed in 24 hours."

Iris nodded.

"I'm gonna put Nessa to bed and write my incident reports. You can keep me company while I work?"

Iris smiled up at her and Shawna returned it.

"Sure. I'm going to have to do mine. I'll run downstairs and get my laptop."

"Okay, wait."

"I couldn't have fought that woman."

"I know." Shawna squeezed her hand back and looked down the hall for any sign of Barry. She leaned down and gave Iris a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you're safe."

"She tried to tell me something."

Shawna looked at her intrigued.

"Well, what was it?"

"She said mo- and then got cut-off."

Shawna shrugged. "Not much to go on. Do you think it's someone we know?"

"I don't know. She was Black though, maybe Hispanic or Indian or something. I saw that much."

"I wonder what she wanted."

Iris shrugged and laid a hand over Nessa's ears.

"She attacked Eobard."

Shawna's eyes widened, and she chuckled.

"I like her already."

"You should be more careful." Iris glanced at the doorway and back.

"Allen can't overhear anything; he's not moving for the rest of the night."

"Your recklessness is gonna get you into trouble one of these days."

Shawna only grinned a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, but Iris' frown deepened.

"I'm serious Shawna, I know you're having problems with the other meta-humans. I'm worried."

It was Shawna's turn to look annoyed now.

"We both know what the problem is and it's not me being reckless." Shawna looked at her pointedly.

"Are you serious?"

The meta-human paused and chewed her lower lip.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Cause they're jerks and they deserved it."

"Yeah, but I don't want you to get fired."

"Let me worry about that you put Nessa to bed and we'll get our reports written."

LaShawn strode out of the room, and Iris sat for a moment thinking. Shawna was at the top of her friendlies list. The list was part of what made Iris so popular with the rest of the humans in Central City. The friendlies were a list of meta-humans that could be relied upon to run interference between humans and bullying meta-humans or do favors without the request going through official channels.

Shawna had been on her friendlies list long before they'd started hooking up or even before they'd become friends. She'd gotten Felicity's mother away from Star City and to an intake house without Eobard ever knowing. She was the first one there the night Pete died, and she'd made sure Eddington hadn't gotten away.

_If Shawna had been here when she'd first found out she was pregnant-_

Iris quashed the thought and looked down at the child sleeping on her breast. She stroked the soft, wooly curls and sighed. They needed the Friendlies; she needed the friendlies.

It wasn't just that friendlies did off the record favors, sometimes they just needed to show up. Tony Woodward tended to be assigned to help out with the construction crews if Bette, Danton, Shawna or one of the other Friendlies was there he was there he behaved better. Having the friendlies list meant when the bookkeeping office asked for a favor they got it.

She couldn't let Shawna and the others put their positions in the Tower at risk. They couldn't have trouble with the other meta-humans. They'd have to be more selective with the favors for at least a little while, true emergencies only.

That decision made it was time to put Nessa to bed and get her incident reports done.

Like most children, once Nessa was out she was out. Iris got Nessa undressed and in bed without her stirring. When the girl was soundly tucked in, Iris sat a moment gazing upon her little face, plump brown cheeks, the little bulb that would grow into her mother's chin. The girl pursed her plump little lips in her sleep, and Iris smiled, pleased that her daughter had not inherited Eobard's nolipatall.*

"Sleep well my perfect little one." Iris kissed Nessa's plump little cheeks. "Mommy loves you."

"Lu' you too mommy."

The girl murmured and shifted in her sleep without waking and even though Iris had work to do, she sat on her daughter's bed letting her heart swell with all she felt for her daughter.

* * *

 

Strange things were a common sight since the explosion of The Particle Accelerator five years ago. So when farmer Tyesha McGinnis sat on her porch drinking apple cider, wishing it was lemonade one pleasant spring night she was exactly surprised to see a bolt of horizontal lightning traveling parallel with the road.

Tyesha watched everything: her response to the odd bolt of lightning was to pick up her telescope and follow it for as long as she could. It disappeared into a nearby wood and Tyesha went into the house. They were five days from Central City, but it was the kind of thing that needed to be reported. She had a friend at the South Intake House, and she always made sure to get her phone a full charge before the sun went down.

This was something they would want to know about at the Tower.

* * *

 

She ran because that is what speedsters did. Lightning crackling off of her skin, the wind of her passing unfurling the dark ribbons of her dread locks behind her she ran, a black blur in a black night. The only thing visible to those she passed was the lightning that surrounded her and silver crackle of it in her eyes.

_Thawne was still alive. Thawne was still alive. Thawne was still alive._

She had failed. Linda had seen her and given it all way. Sneaking into Thawne Tower had been easy. She'd run from roof-top to roof-top before phasing through the roof of Thawne Tower to land in Eobard Thawne's bedroom without a sound, molecules moving so fast she was nearly invisible. Then it had been a simple waiting game.

She'd lost focus when Linda -young, thin, pretty Linda-  had come in. Her desire to see Linda after so many years had distracted her.

She'd threatened the woman. She hadn't wanted to. Linda, none of the Favorites deserved anymore fear, but she'd had a mission to accomplish.

Linda had tried valiantly to pretend that everything was normal when he finally came in, but at the last, a brief frightened glance from Linda had revealed her presence. She was only nearly invisible after all and to a speedster as fast as Thawne….Instead of getting the drop on him when he was vulnerable they'd had an open fight.

She reached the woods and left the road behind. Treetops closed overhead, trees shutting out the light of stars and while the sounds of the forest surrounded her. The gleaming silver crackle of lightning illuminated the forest floor. The hooting of owls, howling of wolves, frogs singing in the night these sounds filled her ears, but none of it was enough to obscure her thoughts.  

Linda had summoned his special employees. Speed and maneuverability were handy, but in a room crowded with several meta-humans one of whom turned into poison gas, another who made the world spin, and a third who like herself could be in everywhere at once…

...Well, there were winning odds, and there were losing odds.

Exiting the stairwell on the ninth floor had been reflex, habit.

She reached the valley, lost her balance for just a second and skidded down the sloping hillside into the forest. She'd been making a clean, easy escape and suddenly: SHE was there. She who had once been most Favored of the Favorites, who the humans had whispered of as their mother, their protector, their fallen queen.

Her eyes picked out a soft blue tinged glow in the underbrush, the lights of her time ship. She made toward it unerring.

She hadn't counted on what it would be like to see her. Seeing Linda had been hard. Seeing Iris, young, hopeful, beautiful, strong, body not yet broken and worn out by abuse and giving birth to Eobard Thawne's army of speedsters and meta-humans had stopped her in her tracks. The desire to take her away from all of this had warred so strongly with her instinctive understanding of the timeline and how she might safely alter it.

She found the gentle glow of her ship in darkness of the forest and leant against its hull, breathing hard no longer able to hold back tears. The shuttle hummed to life at her touch, recognizing its owner. She had not counted on how hard it would be to see her mother after so many years. How hard it would be to leave her in his hands.

"Gideon open."

She mopped at her face. She needed to eat, to rest. She needed another plan, a harder, longer mission, but it would work. This wouldn't be her first deep cover mission. Still leaning against the hull, she made her way into the shuttle to collapse into the pilot's seat.

"Welcome Back Ms. West. Was your mission a success?"

"No Gideon, prepare dinner menu Nessa West 235, double."

Seconds later the replicator opened, and the cabin filled with the scent of hush puppies, fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese with collard greens and peach cobbler, and apple cider. She sat breathing deep for a moment, savoring the familiar fragrances that said home and comfort.

Vanessa went to the replicator, picked her tray up and sat down to eat at the little fold out table in her cabin.

For a long moment, she stared down at her plate. How many times had she sat down to this very meal with her mother? Iris grumbling because she wanted lemonade instead of apple cider. Lemonade had been one of the first things Nessa tried in 28th century.

Feeling the tug of a smile on the corner of her lips Nessa sat savoring the rich, familiar scents. It had taken weeks to get the recipes programmed into the replicator just right, but it had been worth it. The meal soothed her, grounded her, helped her to focus.

"Gideon. I'll be going undercover. Alias Josephine Starr."

"Shall I contact the FBTP or Captain Morgan?"

"No, absolutely not, under no circumstances should you contact FBTP or the captain."

After determining that she was not criminal, but a victim the Federal Beaurua for the protection of time had granted her refugee status, given her a new identity and settled her in the 28th century. It was Captain Morgan that had consoled her when the Beurue decided not to pursue charges against her father and he'd later helped her join the agency. He would be disappointed when he'd found out about her rogue mission. Nessa sighed.

"What will you need Ms. West?"

"Generate appropriate female clothing for the present era, for someone who has traveled a good deal on foot. I will need a detective's badge and ID, she would hold onto those. Standard issue pistol, holster, and bullets."

"Bullets are becoming scarce in this period."

"Scarce, but not completely unavailable. I'll need a duffle bag, tent, sleeping bag, and three pairs of contact lenses, like my mother's eyes."

There was light-bending technology that would change the way her eyes appeared to others, but every child of the post Accelerator era knew that technology was prone to failure. Having lived the past five years in 28th had done little to change her mind on that point. Now if she was in 2790 she could have had surgery to temporarily alter their color, but this was 2020.

And she would have to disguise her eyes because in spite of what her mother told herself she did not have grandma Esther's blue eyes. Anyone looking at her would know that she had the same clear blue eyes as her father, Eobard Thawne.

Her meal finished, Nessa dumped the tray in the recycler and packed her bags. She would be on the road tomorrow. After a quick shower, she settled into her narrow bed.

Nessa picked up the digital frame she had on her bedside table and watched the slideshow. The first was the scan she'd taken of the portrait of her and Iris that had always hung in her mother's room, they'd been wearing pink at wedding. The next was of her and grandpa Joe; she was a little older in the picture. The third was a picture of her and Uncle Wally, he'd died before she was old enough to remember him, they looked happy in the picture though.

She scrolled back to the portrait.

Her mother's dark eyes were bright and shining in the afternoon sun,  deep rich brown that seemed as bottomless as the night, her face lit with joy as she looked up at her daughter. She traced a finger along Iris' shoulders marveling at the hints of muscle tone and strength in her arms. This was a woman who still had hope, still found joy in living. A woman who in her memories existed in a dim, fog fading and displaced by a broken, used up shadow of the mother that had borne her.

Nessa clutched the portrait to her chest and prayed in soft whispers for her family living and dead. Prayed that she would have the strength to save them from the shadow that loomed long and heavy in their lives. Prayed for all the good things and happiness that they deserved.

_"God I just want to save my mother."_

Nessa sat quiet and still for a few breaths and then opened her eyes. She sat the picture on her bedside table and laid down.

"Gideon set environmental controls to Nessa West 2."

The lights dimmed and the soft sounds of Thawne Tower at night filled the cabin.

"I'll need to sleep soundly tonight Gideon, alpha wave inducer."

"As you wish Ms. West."

"Good night Gideon."

"Good night Ms. West."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> 1) Red is the coldest part of a flame, white is the hottest. Barry is obviously not the fastest man alive because his lightning has always been red. Liza Harmony who actually had blue lightning would have been the fastest speedster to date on the Flash. Unfortunately her molecules were moving so rapidly that she basically dissolved into a gas.
> 
> 2) The cat's purr really is healing for cats, and a purr is a just a vibration. I figured if a cat could vibrate its body at the appropriate megahertz so could Barry. Scientist are looking for effiecent ways to apply this to humans. I figured Barry learned it by observing cats sometime during the last five years.
> 
> 3) nolipatall, literally just means he has no lips.


	9. Ancient History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawna makes Barry the most well-liked man in Central City. Barry sees an intriguing play and meets friends new and old.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I'm so sorry this update got delayed so long. Life got a little hectic and then I had to go and quit drinking all coffee, tea and energy drinks. It's been a difficult couple months. I also have a new WestAllen fic I'm working on. :) Anyway I hope you like it and take a moment to share your thoughts when you're done reading.
> 
> Also I am working with a new beta, kats_m30w, she is great everyone give her a round of applause.
> 
> Iris does appear briefly in this chapter, though she isn't her usual self. Ten points to the first person to spot her. And keep your eyes peeled for a Boy Meets World Reference.

**Previously in After the Accelerator**

"You know I always think of you, of what you need, think of things to make you happy." Eobard held her gaze blue eyes warm and intense.

"Do you?" Iris looked at him with pursed lips and narrowed eyes.

"Yes, every moment of these past five years."

It was a lie and they both knew it. There had been a time when she had been so desperate and afraid that she could pretend he meant what he said, that he would take care of her in spite of everything.

There was an intensity in his clear blue eyes and he slid one of his hands down to settle between her breast,  vibrating gently.

_-"Will you submit to me?"-.... **Chapter Two: Will You Submit to Me**_

 

Nessa clutched the portrait to her chest and prayed in soft whispers for her family living and dead. Prayed that she would have the strength to save them from the shadow that loomed long and heavy in their lives. Prayed for all the good things and happiness that they deserved.

_"God I just want to save my mother."... **Chapter Eight: Silver Lightning and Blue Eyes.**_

* * *

 

Barry stared down at his phone 10,000 notifications, 10,000 likes. Thanks to Shawna and the Black and Silver Speedster he had become an overnight celebrity:

**'Check-out the brave guy shadowing me this week. Barry Allen confronted the Black and Silver speedster on his own, protecting Thawne Tower without hesitation and our beloved Iris West.'.**

Shawna had posted his battered visage with that caption, sharing his failure as a special employee for Thawne Tower with all of Central City. Somehow though it was gaining him like after like and friend request after friend request.  

**'You're so brave."**

**'Thanks for standing up for Central City and its inhabitants.'**

**'I bet he's cute under all those bruises.** '

The likes had come in overnight. Unsure exactly how to respond to 10,000 friendship requests Barry turned his attention back to his incident reports

He'd woken in her apartment, Iris snuggled into his side, from a less than restful sleep. The last five years were enough to give almost anyone nightmares, and whether Barry could recall them or not he knew the feeling of waking from them. Tempted as he'd been to stay with her or better still to wake her and pick-up where they'd left off he'd slipped out of Iris' apartment and headed down to his own to shower and fall back asleep in his own empty bed. He didn't want to start anything if her daughter was there.

In addition to his 10,000 friendship requests,  he had a message from Baez telling him he had the morning off and sending him links to the three different incident reports he needed to fill out.

Barry sat at his desk with a mug of coffee, a full breakfast plate from the employee lounge, windows open to the summer breeze and the incident report open in front of him. As a CSI  this was all new to him and they'd certainly never been this thorough in Ithaca. Central City made Ithaca look like medieval times.  

When did the incident begin? When did the incident finish? Why did he decide to confront the subject? How many civilians were present? How many humans? Describe the appearance of the subject? If meta-human, describe observed powers and abilities?

His phone buzzed; a message from Iris. Barry smiled as he picked it up.

**Iris W: 'Hey Barry. I hope you're all healed up and feeling better. I'm really busy with the last of the 1st Friday's prep. I probably won't see you 'til tonight. A tailor will be stopping by to help you with a suit for the party. Let me know if you need anything and I'll send someone up. Looking forward to seeing you tonight and picking up where we left off.'**

Barry licked his lips, recalling where they'd left off with perfect clarity.

 _She'd been silky soft and bursting with readiness for him. He'd dipped his fingers in, felt her slick and hot and bursting, gripping around his fingers. He could imagine what she would feel like around him, imagine her cries of pleasure, imagine her dark body writhing underneath him. Maybe she'd smile a bit when her pleasure came over her like she had yesterday afternoon._  

Longing stirred with the memory, and with that came the sensation he'd woken with and flashes of nightmares. Matt turning on him, telling him he was useless trash, calling him a traitor while Iris was somewhere outside screaming for his help. Barry ran a hand through his hair and felt relief at a knock on the door.  

He went to the door and found the aforementioned tailor on the other side. A tall young white man with several boxes, garment bags, a folded mirror and well a lot more than Barry had expected.

The tailor introduced himself as Sean and took a few minutes to get everything set up. He had three options: a classic black and white tux with tails and a white vest and that was the fashion of the twenties and white men's' suit with a powder blue shirt and accessories and a green tweed. He was torn between the tweed and the tux.

Barry was contemplating his appearance in the tux when there was another knock on his door. This time he found Baez on the other side with her medical bag and her dark hair braided down into two plaits close to the scalp.  

A surprised smile spread over the meta-human's face when she saw him.

"Wow! For tonight?"  

He nodded.

"You look great."

Barry ducked his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"Thanks come in."

Shawna walked in suited for work carrying her pad and her medical bag.  

"Hey, Sean." She waved at the tailor.

He smiled and waved back.  

"The tux right?" Sean asked.  

"What are the other options?"  

Sean pointed to the other suits draped over a dressing screen.

"The tux looks great."

"I'll go with the tux." Barry went back into his bedroom and changed. When he came out Shawna and Sean were chatting as she helped him pack up his things.

"How's Angela by the way?"

"She's good, she's back on her feet and recovering well."

"I'm glad," Shawna looked at him. "Sean's wife Angela just had a baby."

"Congrats man."  

"Beautiful girl, eight pounds exactly." Sean held up his phone and Barry tried to smile for the other man, but couldn't.

"What?"

"Just thinking about that first year."

"Yeah," Shawna said and even Sean's smile faded.  

The first year after the explosion there had been ten pregnancies in Ithaca that he knew of. Their infant mortality rate had been nine out of ten, the maternal mortality rate had been five. The next few years had been better, but he didn't think he'd ever get over that first year.

"We were lucky and Mr. Thawne has really made midwives and medicine, in general, a priority in Central City. Central City is sort of a miracle," Sean said before taking a breath. "These are your accessories." He pointed to a basket on the coffee table. "Your scarf, a handkerchief for your lapel, cuff links, shoes, and socks. We'll get the alterations done and have it back up here for you in time for 1st Fridays tonight."

"Thanks, I'll be sure to rate you."

"Coming from you right now Mr. Allen, a four-star rating would mean so much."

"Don't mention it."

Sean collected his materials and left.

"How does it feel to be the most popular meta-human in Central City?" Shawna asked as she settled on the couch.

"What?"

"Actually, the most liked man in Central City as of right now. Check your ranking," Baez said.

Barry pulled up his Central City profile and saw that he was indeed the number one ranked person in Central City for the day.

"All from that one post?"

"Mhmm. I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you're ok. Iris said you were gone when she woke up."

He nodded.

"I don't get it."

"You mean being the most liked?"

He nodded.

"It may seem counter-intuitive that getting beat-up would make you well liked, but you're a meta-human that got beaten up defending one of the most popular humans in this city. No one caught the black and silver speedster last night. She got away and left everyone that fought her in bad shape, but you confronted her by yourself and got the worst of it, very heroic. Exactly what this city needs."

"I guess."

"Remember the higher your average ranking every month the more bonus credits you earn."

"Right."  

"So how are you feeling? Any headache, dizziness, pain?"

Barry shook his head.

"Ribs good?"

"So far."

Shawna got out her stethoscope.  

"You mind if I check?"

Barry shook his head.

She stood over him, attentive as she listened to his heart and breathing, checking both sides.

"So far so good." She moved the stethoscope back to the left side a little above his broken rib. "Cough."  

Barry coughed and winced almost immediately.

"So your rib isn't fully healed. I'll tell Mr. Thawne to give you the rest of the day off."

"I could speed it along."

"Up to you, but there is nothing urgent going on so if you want to enjoy the rest of the day off you should. Besides, you still have a debriefing and you've got incident reports to fill out."

"Yeah," Barry shook his head.

"I'm not going to keep you too long. I just wanna go over a couple things with you and I'll be out of your hair."

She gave him some tips about filling out the incident reports. Explaining that it was better to fill out the report for Mr. Thawne in depth first and then just copy and paste his answers for the court and security reports.

When she was satisfied that he understood what to do Baez gave him a hesitant look, chewing her lower lip.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Thawne thinks we work well together."

Barry frowned not at all liking what he was hearing.

"And he thinks we should continue working together for the next month."

Barry shook his head.

"No."

She hadn't done anything since her first so-called prank, but Barry simply did not want to work with her. Meta-humans in Central City took on dangerous jobs. If he was going to be working with a partner it needed to be someone he could trust.

"I agreed to a week-"

"-I know. I don't blame you. I just- I work well with speedsters."

"Don't you already have a speedster partner, Liza Harmony?"

She looked away for a moment.

"We don't get along." She admitted in a quiet voice.

"I bet."

"It's not like that. Liza's a sadistic bitch."

"She's the bitch?"

Shawna glared at him, heat in her dark eyes and her mouth worked.

"You know what, you don't know what's going on here," She began gathering her things. "You think you do, but you don't."

"Well enlighten me."

"Your speedster buddies can't be trusted."

"Maybe, but only one of my co-workers tried to kill me on my first day."

This was met with another glare and if looks could kill- Barry actually felt vaguely amused that she was angry, that he'd gotten under her skin. She looked away for a moment.

"You won't listen to me and that's fine, I get that. You and Iris are awfully friendly. Ask her what she thinks of your speedster pals, Hunter and Liza. Then come talk to me. I'll do what I can to get Mr. Thawne to give you another partner."

Shawna picked up her things and started toward the door.

"I'm still expecting that favor."

She turned and Barry thought for a second she was going to come back across the room and smack him.

"You keep your mouth shut and you'll get your god damned favor Allen." She stormed out and Barry sat down to his breakfast with an amused grin; he had some reports to finish.

* * *

 

He'd read plenty of books about people in his situation. Warriors, deposed leaders, all fighting an unjust foe to restore the rightful balance to a people or nation. It always happened one of two ways. Either there was a secret magic bullet that only required a small crack team to deliver it, or they somehow lucked into friends and allies by hanging out in taverns. Barry didn't think either was going to work for him.

The stories didn't actually tell you how to find allies. The stories focused on heroic deeds and romances, and somehow the heroes found friends with greater resources to help them.  

He'd never been very good at making friends. So far he had Mr. Thawne, a very reluctant Baez, and Iris West. He couldn't quite imagine Iris helping him take on Leonard Snart and his gang of rogues. He wasn't going to ask Mr. Thawne for help, he'd read enough history books to know that Mr. Thawne's aid would just mean extending the other man's power into Ithaca. Central City was well run, but that wasn't an option. That left Shawna.  

His phone pinged just then and Barry picked it up. Five-thousand more notifications since he'd started his reports. 15,000 potential friends? Maybe Shawna was a better ally than he thought, maybe it was time he meet some of them.

The day was clear with the exception of a few puffy white clouds. The early afternoon sun beamed down bright and strong and Barry felt instantly cheered.

There was an excited buzz in downtown Central City. Shop windows, residences, booths were all decorated for this First Fridays event. From shops with simple posters listing offerings such craft demonstration, credit discounts, tastings, or quick services like fifteen-minute chair massage or modern mani-pedis to more complicated artistic creations all were decorated and boasting offerings for First Friday.

Flowers, streamers, vine garlands, potted shrubs, and banners were everywhere. Colorfully dressed people moved through the crowds talking with people urging them to check out digital fliers for dance parties and entertainments that had sprung up all through downtown. Their excitement was contagious and Barry found himself grinning as he walked, the funk that had settled on him since the encounter with the black and silver speedster was gone.

And everyone everywhere was friendly. People smiled, they waved, some snapped the occasional picture, but kept their distance. The shopkeepers and craftspeople he approached greeted him with the same smiles he'd seen given to Iris and he obliged them with pictures. Eventually, he found his way to Central City Park.

A large crowd was gathered in the park along with a few faded canopy tents and wooden slatted picnic tables.  Beer was being served; warm, sweet smell of corn on the barbecue grill filled the air.  

Beer was no good to him, but grilled corn on the cob with salt and butter was still a treat. He was given two ears and his credits refused. The food was on the house as long as he gave them a like on the Thawne Network, which Barry was more than happy to do.

Snack in hand Barry strolled over to where a crowd had gathered and was watching, of all things a puppet box theater play.

"My hero!" One puppet kissed the other and the curtain dropped.  

"Don't wander away just yet. We'll have another show for you in twenty minutes friends!"

The little crowd milled about, people chatted enjoying the warm, summer afternoon. A few people smiled and waved. A group of teens, mostly girls, and a couple boys watched him with surreptitious glances while snickering behind their hands. Barry rolled his eyes. One of the teens, a dark-skinned girl with close-cropped hair kept glancing at him from beneath lowered lashes. Not at all ready to deal with teens who were either making fun of him or more disturbingly crushing on him, Barry decided to occupy himself with his phone.

He had over four thousand messages, he could read some of them.

Most of the messages were friendly, a few were snarky, some went off on some lengthy personal tangent; but what surprised Barry was that he found none of the rudeness he'd gotten used to seeing on the internet before the Accelerator. How was everyone so polite? Most of the messages were short; he read about twenty before a trumpet's blare caught his attention. Barry joined the crowd facing the little theater with curiosity.

"We have a very special guest in the crowd this afternoon. The most liked meta-human in Central City, savior of our very own Iris West, Mr. Barry Allen!"

The crowd applauded and Barry felt himself turning red. He forced himself to wave and gave a half-hearted smile.

"And since we have such a special guest in the crowd, we are going to put on a very special show."  

The trumpet blared again and the curtain lifted to reveal a city street from any medieval or renaissance town. A dark-skinned, bearded male puppet wearing a crown entered with as much dignity as a puppet could muster.

There were gasps from the crowd and an excited buzz started amongst them.

"Once upon a time there was a king. He ruled a land far, far away from here and his people were happy. The king ruled with wisdom, bravery, and compassion, and above all else he valued justice."

Two more puppets entered, both dark skinned and slightly smaller than the King and both wearing smaller, plainer versions of the king's crown.

"At his side were his daughter and son, the prince and princess. The princess was loyal and fearsome, and the prince, was brave and strong and bright; and everyone in the kingdom was happy."

The windows of the buildings opened then and cheering citizen puppets emerged to cheer the royal family and shower them with banners and confetti.  

"There were festivals and balls and dancing."  

The setting changed behind them, rotating through various scenes of daily life before the King, the Princess and Prince settled into a royal box and three more puppets emerged. The new puppets were white and they wore pointed hats, a man, woman, and child; Barry thought they might have been a family.

"The king was served by a family of wizards. Sometimes the Wizards performed tricks to delight and amuse the royal family and others."

The three put on a show, producing a bouquet of flowers for the princess, a laurel wreath for the prince, and finally pulling a gold coin from behind the king's ear.  

The puppets applauded and the crowd had a little laugh.

"But it wasn't all just fun and games. The people, the king, they all wanted more. More wisdom, more happiness, more comfort. And the king agreed even though his land was peaceful and prosperous there was still disease and crime. The family of wizards worked day and night to create a spell that would grant the kingdom even more."

"Until finally, the Lady Wizard cast the most marvelous of spells."

A flutter of rainbow cloth spread out from the lady wizard and engulfed the stage, only to turn black as all the little lights in the kingdom went out and all the puppets fell to the ground.

The crowd was watching intently now and Barry saw that some of the audience had started to cry.

Somber music started to play and the curtain dropped.

When the curtain rose again a few minutes later, a procession of puppets in funereal black moved through the streets.  

"The Lady Wizard and her daughter along with many others had died. Hard times fell on the city. Her spell had gone terribly wrong as everything the people relied upon stopped. Food stopped coming, clean water was suddenly gone, hospitals shut down, medicine ran out."

Barry felt his eyes widen as he realized this show was about the Accelerator explosion.

"It was a terrible time for a once fair land. For not only had everything stopped, but the spell had awakened the ancient demon blood that coursed through the veins of many of the people and given them strange powers. Most did not use these powers with kindness or compassion."

The once happy puppets turned on each other, some shooting flames or lasers, others flying around and dropping other puppets to their death while still others towered over their neighbors crushing them.

Barry frowned, recognizing the chaos that erupted after the explosion.  

"But a brave hero emerged."  

A triumphant tone played on the trumpet and the Prince reappeared dressed in scarlet and gold. He moved through the chaos beating the various meta-humans in different ways.  

"Even the king's family shared this demon blood and the young prince manifested strange powers. However, brave and bright and so like his father, the young prince used his powers to protect the ones who had none."

"And so, the king led through these difficult times. Always fair and just and wise the king held the people together. They found food and new ways to clean the water and even medicine for the sick and the prince protected the people from the ones who would not do right."

"The people were cheered and hopeful. The king's leadership was so wise and just that tales of it spread to other lands. People in far away places began to envy their fair and contented land and one day a Master of Demons appeared."

"Where the prince had chosen the colors of scarlet and gold, the Master of Demons attired himself in gold from head to toe."

This new puppet zipped onto the stage towering over all the others with bulging blue eyes.

"Oh wise king your land is far and people prosper. I invite you to join my confederation. You will remain as governor of your people and our resources shall be pooled."

The king did not trust the master of demons and after some consideration politely declined.

The Master of Demons showed his true nature then and struck the king a mighty blow."

The king cried out and dropped to the ground clutching his head. Ever loyal, the prince and princess were at his side immediately. The king though hurt, was alive.  

"Well, dear king now will you submit to me?"

"We will never submit to you," the young Prince declared, his eyes glowing with the fury of his power.

"Be careful young Prince. You think your powers equal mine, but you are just a pup newly weaned, where I am a master. Join me and I shall teach you to be a master of your demon's blood.'

For his reply, the young Prince gave an enraged shout and attacked the Master of Demons.

The two battled fiercely throughout the city drawing the eyes of all the people as they watched from the windows, clutching their hands in fear and worry, all wishing they might somehow help their champion, but the Prince the Master of Demons moved with a speed that was a streaking blur.  

And though the prince fought valiantly for his injured father, his weeping sister, his late and beloved mother and the freedom of all the people in his city, it soon became clear to all watching that the Master of Demons had spoken the truth. He was everywhere at once. He passed through solid objects, flung lightning from his hands and created whirlwinds. When he had beaten the once fair prince, the Master of Demons showed no mercy, choosing to squeeze the very life from the Prince crushing his bones while the people watched, frozen in horror.

"No please." The princess' sob rang out in the silence. "Spare him." With those words she flung herself at the Master of Demons -not attacking, but weeping, pleading for her brother's life.

The Master of Demons looked upon her; some said there was pity in his eyes while others said there was none.

"Spare your brother?"

"Please."

"I can give back your brother's life, but you must submit to me. You and your family."

The princess did not answer right away for it seemed she understood what it might mean.

"Yes we will submit to you, but you must save him."

"As you wish princess.' And with those words, the master of Demons knit her brother's bones and gave him back his life.

Having defeated him, he sent the prince to serve him in a far away land. The king was left in the care of his wizard and to ensure that they both complied, the princess was dragged back to his tower to serve him, where she is still awaiting rescue to this day."

The curtain dropped, the crowd applauded and Barry frowned. That wasn't an ending, the story just sort of stopped. The crowd broke and Barry turned to walk away still frowning.

"You didn't like it?" The black girl who'd been looking at him and giggling earlier was right there.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're frowning." She smiled showing brilliant white teeth and cocked her head to one side watching him with wide doe eyes. She was pretty, wide eyes framed with long lashes, chin coming to a little point.

Up close Barry thought maybe she wasn't quite as young as he'd first suspected, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years of age. Not a child, but still very young. Barry could recall with ease how much he'd grown emotionally and spiritually from the ages of eighteen to twenty-two. It was like that leap from fourteen to sixteen.

"I'm Hope." She leaned toward him, dress slipping off one shoulder. Was she flirting with him? Barry hoped she wasn't.  

"I'm B-"

"Oh everybody knows Barry Allen." Her smile widened and her head dipped, dark eyes holding his.  

This child was definitely flirting with him; her little knot of friends stood off to the side watching.

"You came to Central City a little over a month ago, a refugee processed through the  Northern Intake House." She counted off the facts of his brief time in Central City on her fingers smiling in triumph when she'd finished and Barry couldn't help but smile back. He'd never had a fan before.  

"Well Hope," he started not at all sure what to say and felt some relief when his phone buzzed.

When he saw a picture of a long-unseen familiar face in the Northern Intake house he let out a whoop!

"I gotta go Hope. It was nice meeting you."  

Barry took off for the Northern Intake house without a backward glance. He got turned around a couple times, but still found it in a few minutes.  

"Where is she Doc?" Barry asked just a little breathless.

Doctor Brown smiled. "Room 202."

Barry nodded and zipped up the stairs pausing a moment outside of room 202 and paused to catch his breath before knocking.

"Who is it?"

"It’s the Flash," Barry pitched his voice low modulating it with his speed.

He heard laughter and someone moving around before the door opened.

"Oh my god Patty it really is you!"

Barry caught her up in a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you're alive Barry."

* * *

 

Thanks so much for reading. Come visit me on tumblr @ [trashywestallen](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/trashywestallen), I'd love to chat.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for reading sorry for the delay in updates. my schedule has settled and I am excited to be able to get back to regular updates.
> 
> Please take a moment to leave a comment. I have a couple notes for you.
> 
> A lot of major cities have what's called First Fridays. They are usually held on the first Friday of every month. The idea is to encourage people to get out and the local businesses, restaurants and museums and they usually have booths for business or artists that don't have stores or galleries. It's a lot of fun.


	10. A History That Has Not Yet Been Written

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Friday of Summer proves a hectic day as Iris tries to make sure the citywide festival goes smoothly while looking for clues to the identity of The Black and Silver Speedster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everybody. This update took a little longer than expected I couldn't quite get the scenes in this chapter to gel. Finally figured it out though. This is the longest chapter thus far, and I hope you enjoy. Betad by kats_m30w, she's still awesome.

* * *

**I.W.:'Fe, I need you here in 15 minutes to keep an eye on Nessa. Sorry for the short notice, but I need to talk to Eobard before this meeting.**

**F.S.: 'Right, 15 minutes.:)'**

**I.W.: 'Thanks, Fe'.'**

Iris rushed through her morning toilette skipping breakfast, gulping down coffee, and applying simple makeup with brisk, efficiency. She pulled a simple dark sheath dress over her head and black high-heeled sandals. Heels and stockings would have been nice at least some of the time.

 _Stockings were a knit, right? People had stockings in the 1800's, the 1700's, they'd probably been around for thousands of years? Knitted materials had been around forever. She should do a blast that the Tower would pay a handsome reward to anyone who could knit up a stocking fine enough to wear with most heels._  

The only hosiery still available were sturdy knit tights. She liked tights, in the winter....

Iris finished dressing and quickly styled her hair. Pinning the front half into a simple bun and spending some of her electricity allotment to curl the back.  She put on a pair of bright yellow earrings for color, with a bracelet just as Felicity knocked on the door. She let Felicity in with a brisk good morning just as Nessa toddled into the room.

"Mommy where you goin'?"  

"I have to go work sweetheart."

"No." Nessa crossed her arms exasperated as she said this. The girl couldn't tell time, but she knew their morning routine, nurse, cuddle, shower, breakfast.

Iris picked up her daughter whose little face was twisted into a rather charming pout.

"I have a very important work meeting this morning."

"Stay here." Nessa put her arms around Iris' neck and kissed her cheek.

"You  trying to butter mommy up?"

The girl nodded.

"I'll only be gone for a little while ok. Auntie Fe is going to make you breakfast."

"I go wit'."

If she was only going to talk to Eobard that would have been fine, but they'd be going straight from Eobard's to the meeting. She needed to make certain she actually had time to talk to Eobard. If she brought Nessa with her, she couldn't guess what would happen. Plus the more she kept those two apart, the less likely Eobard was to see Nessa's using her speed.

"Not this morning sweetheart. Maybe some yogurt and fruit with toast and blackberry jam? You can make toast right Fe'?"

Nessa's eyes lit up at the mention of jam even as Felicity rolled her eyes.

"Of course I can make toast. Come on munchkin we'll have some fun while mommy works." Felicity held out her hands to the girl and Nessa, lips pursed, gave Iris one last appraising look before going to Felicity.

"You be a good girl for Auntie Fe', and I promise we will do something fun later."

Nessa sighed as if she were the most put-upon person in the world and Iris had to bit her lower lip to keep from laughing.

"Okay."

"So you need breakfast. And is there anything I can do for this meeting?"

"It's about the a-t-t-a-c-k last night. Go through our resource list for candidates to be added to security and look into electronic equipment: wire, circuit boards, anything that could be used to turn the meta-human dampening cuffs into some kind field generation, you know this stuff better than I do."

"Right, alright, will do. I will work on both of those."

"Thanks, Fe'. Bye sweetheart." Iris gave her daughter a quick kiss, grabbed her phone and hurried out the door.

She ran up the stairs to the tenth floor. She'd woken to find Barry gone and her phone flashing an urgent message: an emergency meeting for herself and a few other tower staff. It was of course about the Black and Silver Speedster and their most immediate steps to keep Thawne Tower and by extension Central City safe. Eobard would be looking for ideas and she like several others would be expected to provide them.  

She exited the stairwell and onto the tenth floor and stood a moment catching her breath, forcing a calm, unhurried demeanor before striding brisk and businesslike down the hall, heels clacking on the marble tile.  

Iris knocked softly before using her key to let herself in.  

"Eobard?"

"In the kitchen."

She found him sitting down to breakfast at the kitchen table.

Her anger with him though lessened was hardly banished. Still, this was important. This was about her power and influence in Central City; she didn't have to consult with Dr. Wells to know he would tell her to put aside her anger and push forward. You had to know an opportunity when it presented itself.

Iris strode into the kitchen and put a dazzling smile on her face, making sure it reached her eyes.  She found Eobard sitting down to a big breakfast. She smelled potatoes, eggs, some kind sausage.

"Good morning."

"Good morning Iris."

She walked up behind him, placed a hand on his shoulder and a kiss on his cheek.  

"It's been awhile since we sat down to a meal together." He looked at her, blue eyes warm and friendly. "Join me."

"Of course."  

He zipped around the kitchen making her a plate of sunny side up eggs, potatoes with onions and bell peppers, and fresh strawberries.

"No cream, sorry." He smiled as he sat the plate in front, of her the charming man that she'd gotten to know four years ago.

"It's perfect thank you."

"How's Nessa this morning?" Eobard said returning to his seat across from her.

"She's good, completely unfazed; it was probably the alarm that upset her."

Eobard nodded.

"Your jaw is healed. How's the rest of you?"

"Good as new."

"I'll stop by the infirmary and see Danton a little later."

The fight between the Mystery Speedster and the other meta-humans had wound through Central City and left several on their side seriously injured. Danton Black was one of them. Danton was also one of her Friendlies.  

"I saw him earlier. He's awake and talking. The doctor thinks he should be fine."

"Listen I can get us some extra security for tonight."  

Eobard didn’t say anything, and Iris wondered if she was too late.  

First Fridays in Central City was a seasonal event. Something she had brought to fruition in a bid to grow her power in the city and extend her influence with Eobard. Artist, crafts people, anyone running any sort of business was welcome to participate. It was a party for the entire city. People dressed up, wore costumes, and spent the evening visiting their favorite shops if they were open observing demonstrations of various skills and techniques for anything from soap making to baking bread, musicians, dancers, actors, acrobats and any other number of people got a chance to show off their skills. There were impromptu dance parties throughout the city along with craft or art classes.  

The tower offered a  brief recognition ceremony for selected notable citizens this came with a reward of extra credits, introduction to the Tower Special staff and of course improved rank on Central City's intranet.   Anyone who offered a class, demonstration or entertainment earned extra credits and their pick of various rewards.  

It was Iris' baby.  Hunter hated it, partly because of the influence and visibility it brought to her.

"Eobard?"

She saw his jaw tighten.

"Hunter suggested we cancel it," the words came out with reluctance.

Iris looked down at her plate and ate a forkful of eggs to cover her triumphant smirk.

It had taken time, a comment here, a look there, pushing Hunter's buttons from time-to-time so that he talked just a little too much at the right moment. Slowly, but surely she had helped Eobard see that Hunter Zolomon was a miserable hypocrite of a man that didn't appreciate Central City and looked down on a lot of what Eobard had built over the last five years.

He'd fuck a favorite, but heaven forbid she enjoy it, or her clothes be too nice,or she be proud of herself. He'd been happiest when they'd all been miserable, and half starved every winter. "Suffering makes you stronger, better." She'd heard him say that more than once to humans during those long, lean winter months. Of course meta-humans only went down to ¾ rations, while humans went down to ½ when food was scarce.

The science, the organization, the efficiency he appreciated those things, but beauty, comfort, joy, the amenities provided by Eobard for his special employees he did not approve.

And they both knew what that meant.

Eobard had never shared this with her, but it hadn't taken Iris long to figure it out. Good food, comfortable living, prestige, sex, drugs, parties were all provided to keep the metahumans under control. He couldn't over power them; he had no technology to compel them the only commodities he could offer were comfort and beauty, so he provided those to his meta-humans instead.

His meta-humans. Iris wondered what they would think if they ever heard him refer to them that way.  First Fridays, her Public Works Grants only enhanced that.

Controlling the meta-humans of Central City gave him control over the humans of Central City.  

A powerful meta-human like Hunter Zolomon dissatisfied and disapproving was a potential threat.

"I'm sure he had some reasonable concerns, but we can provide extra-security, and all of my vast resources are at your disposal."

Iris can also point out that this woman must not know about first fridays or she would have attacked today and she also wasn't a professional, a professional would have done her homework and attacked at the part. No this woman was desperate, emotional, she may be one of the fastest speedsters on the planet, but she was no assassin.

Under different circumstance, she might hold back, extract concessions from him, but the thing to do now was to provide solutions and reap the fruits of her labors later, boosting her influence and further diminishing Hunter Zolomon.

Eobard smiled now. "You have something in mind."

"I thought you might want to create something to magnify the effect of those meta-human dampening cuffs of yours."

His smile broadened.

"I don't know what you would need, but if it can be gotten, I know the people and they are ready to help."

He picked up her hand across the table and kissed it.

"What would I do without you Iris West?"

* * *

 

 

**I.W.:  'Fe' I know I said it would just be the meeting, but I need to run out for a bit. Not sure how long I'll be gone, sorry.'**

Feeling a twinge of guilt Iris pressed send. The meeting had gone her way, but now she had other work to do. She needed information about this Black and Silver Speedster.

None of the other speedsters were Eobard's equal. Wally hadn't been when he fought Eobard five years ago or for that matter when he'd fought Eobard three years ago, and she doubted he was now. Hunter and Liza weren't, not with the way Eobard coached them and Barry certainly wasn't.

But the Mystery Speedster, this woman in black was different. From the way Hunter and Liza talked about her, they were shook. And even though Eobard had refused to cancel First Fridays he was also troubled.

It had always been her belief that Eobard had been a meta-human before the accident. The way he used his powers, his confidence, his ease when he'd fought Wally. It was as if he'd been a meta-human for years, not a few months.

For this Mystery Speedster to come along and trounce Barry, handle Hunter and Liza, and ruffle Eobard's feathers meant that this woman would have been practicing for years.

Speedster abilities were showy. Someone had seen her; someone knew something about her. She hadn't sprung from the earth fully grown, a master equal to Eobard Thawne. And that she had come here, targeting Eobard meant either someone had hired or her she had a personal vendetta against the man.

Iris pushed a button for the elevator and typed up another text to Kyle.

**I.W.: 'Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes.'**

**I.W.: 'Hey Barry. I hope you're all healed up and feeling better. I'm really busy with the last of the 1st Friday's prep. I probably won't see you 'til tonight. A tailor will be stopping by to help you with a suit for the party. Let me know if you need anything, and I'll send someone up. Looking forward to seeing you tonight and picking up where we left off.';)**

She resisted the temptation to have a quick visit with Nessa before heading out. Her daughter would be disappointed and probably angry when mommy came home and left again right away. Better to just see her later this afternoon. She made her way down to the lobby. Kyle was waiting there suited and on alert. Until this Mystery Speedster was caught, she was no longer allowed to leave Thawne Tower without protection, for now, that was Kyle Nimbus. Iris wasn't a fan of his. His power, changing into a poisonous gas, made the hair on her arms prickle. Still it would probably be effective against this Black and Silver speedster.

Of the three states of matter, gases were the fastest moving.

"We're just going to visit a few of my friends."

They found a rickshaw right away, and Kyle slid in beside her scanning the street as the cart pulled into traffic.

"Relax," Iris said.

"Yeah, I'm not getting in trouble with Mr. Thawne."

"Nothing is gonna happen."

"What makes you so confident?"

"So this woman came to attack Mr. Thawne. She was working alone which means she is either a professional assassin or has a personal vendetta. If it were a political attack she would declared some kind of ideology already."

"Okay what's your point?"

"If you were a paid assassin you research a target, gather info. And in doing your research, you'd realize today was the better day to attack."

He nodded thoughtful expression on his face.

"So we know she's not a pro, meaning this is personal. She probably will try again, but she still has to go home and rest, and since we're on high alert now she'll probably let things cool down a bit before trying again."

"Maybe or since its personal she might be really driven and do something stupid and emotional and try again today."

"Good point," Iris agreed suddenly feeling a little subdued.

She still didn't think the Mystery Speedster meant her any harm, but if this woman was driven by anger or rage for revenge or something then she might be unpredictable. Iris shrank back into the rickshaw and turned her attention to her phone to have a quick chat with Shawna.

* * *

 

She had three visits to make before lunch the first two were to tavern owners that rented bunks or rooms to people who chose to pass through Central City rather than go through full registration at an intake house. Drifters were allowed to give only a name, apparent age with a statement that they had no intention to commit crime. They could then remain in the city for thirty days to rest, take short-term labor and either leave or decide to go through full registration.

Many of them chose to travel rather than settle somewhere. Some even came to and from Central City regularly. If there were stories of a Black and Silver Speedster to be heard, they would know it.  

Visiting with the tavern owners took just about two hours. She couldn't just come in, demand information and leave.That wasn't how it worked. She had to talk, chew the fat, taste the liquors they were trying to blend, hear about their families and children. Iris didn't mind; she made notes on each visit between destinations.

  Her last stop after the tavern owners was to a psychic. Iris was too down to earth to look for help in tea leaves or tarot cards, but Sally wasn't just a meta-human who could see into the future and find lost things she also worked with her own information network and what she couldn't See, she heard about and that had earned her quite a place in Central City.

Like most of the people living in downtown Central City Sally had an apartment. She lived in one of the older sections not too far from Thawne tower in a two story building with a bright open shop front where she met and interviewed customers on the first floor. Her apartment was accessed via walk up on the second floor. Since it was only eleven am Sally's shop wasn't open, but there was a note on the door with her name on it.

   Come in Ms. West.

    Iris rolled her eyes at the note and tucked it into her purse.

   "Come on."

  The door was already open, and they walked into Sally's bright, cheerful home.

   "Another note," Kyle said picking up a piece of paper that had been taped to the back door.

    Lock it.

    "I hope she's having fun," Iris said locking the door.

    "Oh I am." Sally came around the corner wearing a pair of faded stretch jeans with holes worn in both knees and a belted off the shoulder linen peasant blouse with a smocked top in a bright fuschia and house slippers. Her dark hair in one long braid.

   "Is that an AP blouse?"

    "Mhmm."

   "It's cute."

"Thanks, I knew you'd be here Iris."

"I sent you a text."

"I knew before that."

Iris rolled her eyes.

"You want to talk about the Black and Silver Speedster?"

She nodded.

"Do either of you need to freshen up?"

Iris titled her head to one side and did a quick sniff. Part of the reason she preferred sleeveless in the heat was that it didn't hold sweat. There were perfumes, powders, and antiperspirants, but deodorants were long gone. With sleeveless, you just put your arms up and let the breeze keep you cool and odor free.

"I'll be good for a bit."

"I could use your washroom," Kyle said. Iris shook her head, the suits had to go when it got warm, but they could start making them in seersucker.

"Down the hall to the left. Josh!"

    Her little boy came running into the room.

   "Prepare some refreshments for our guest. Come on."

    The boy waved at her and ran off into the kitchen.

   Iris followed Sally into her parlor or den or whatever the room was.

   It was a little darker than the rest of the house, sunlight blocked by roman shades a ceiling fan stirring the air. There was a rattan sofa and chair that she recognized as local handiwork.  The room was filled with late spring flowers like daisies and zinnias and gladiolas, their perfume making the air sweet.

"Have a seat." Sally motioned toward the couch as she settled in the chair across from her, crossing one long leg over the other.

Josh came in with two glasses of a dark juice and a tray of cookies. He put the tray on the table and left.

   "Thank you, sweetheart, close the door on your way out."

    The little boy did as told and Sally watched him with a fond smile as he left.

    "Blackberry juice."

   "Thank you." Iris took it along with a cookie. It was nearly lunch, and she needed something other than the coffee and the liquors she'd sampled at the taverns.

    "You've made friends with Barry Allen." She smiled, and Iris frowned glancing at her phone to see he still hadn't returned her message.

   "Sally- "

   "I don't try to look, but you're an important person. You come up a lot."

Iris sighed. "What about the Black and Silver speedster."

   Sally chuckled and looked at her with an arched brow.

   "You sure you don't want to know your future?"

   "I'm certain."

   "I don't know what I can tell you about the Black and Silver Speedster then."

   Iris' eyes narrowed.

   "What does that mean?"

   "It means your fates are entwined. Yours, the scarlet speedster, your blinking friend, the man in yellow a few others all of you would have come together regardless. It didn't have to be this way."

   Iris frowned she hated it when the other woman talked in circles.

   "I told you I don't want my fortune told."

   "And I'm telling you it's rapidly becoming too urgent for that now. You don't have any more time for fear or procrastination."

   "I don't procrastinate."

   "The secret rooms. Eobard's, Hunter's you've had four years to learn what is in them and instead you've chosen court intrigue and power schemes over knowledge."

   Iris swallowed she'd never talked to anyone about her suspicions.

   "What did the Singing Trees play for you?"

   Iris, by the Googoo dolls and Raining Blood, the Tori Amos cover. It had scared her, why would they play a song about a rain of blood.

   "You don't know already? I thought you knew everything."

   Sally snorted.

   "I don't remember."

   The other woman looked at her with pursed lips and challenging eyes.

"Well that's too bad. Anyway I know you want history on your Black and Silver Speedster so you can find her well, bad news. I have nothing, and I have a feeling no one will find any history on her."

"Everyone has a history."

"But not everyone's history has been written yet. The Black and Silver Speedster is another distraction. Think about it for a moment do you truly feel she is a danger to you?"

"No." She'd been frightened initially, under the circumstances, but the instincts, the emotional intelligence she relied upon told her no.

"Then why put your time into her?"

"Because Eobard-"

"Are you that concerned about what would happen to Eobard?"

"He's Nessa's father. He runs Central City, Hunter Zolomon would-" Iris faltered.

"You mean you're afraid of what Hunter Zolomon would do if something happened to Eobard? Don't answer.

You'll learn everything about her that you need to know when the time comes. Concentrate on Hunter Zolomon, his secret room. He is way more dangerous to you than you realize. My network will look for what is not there, that you don't need to worry about."

Iris rolled her eyes.

"Mhmm I have something for you."

Sally left and returned a few minutes later with a basket of bread and cheese and sausages, butter, and honey.

"A gift from a grateful farmer. I found his lost cattle a few weeks ago. He brought it over yesterday, and when I saw it, I knew it was for you and that pretty little daughter of yours."

"Thank you," Iris said suspicion stirring at Sally's mention of Nessa.

She shrugged. "Don't mention it. It's important to know what is and is not for you."

Iris left Sally the way she always did with far more questions than answers.

Iris paged through her phone as the rickshaw took them back to Thawne Tower. She had a number of messages. Wally and her father wanting to know if she and Nessa were ok as well as messages about thing already going wrong for 1st Fridays.

She had messages from Christina about the food. Apparently, one of her key ingredients hadn't been delivered, and she lacked a good substitute. One of the paper mache facades that was supposed to be used to transform the penthouse into a 1920's dream had been dropped and cracked, and the young woman who was supposed to sing tonight had laryngitis. Of course whenever you were planning a big event things went wrong.

Iris told herself not to think about her visit with Sally and concentrated on the present. Regardless of what the other woman thought about her choices she still needed power to combat her present situation. Eobard's lab, Hunter's secret room they weren't going anywhere this afternoon.

Besides this was where she excelled connecting people to resources they might not otherwise have time to find for themselves. She had friends that would come the market for Christina's missing ingredient as well as look for ingredients to a cough syrup remedy that would strip the laryngitis inducing flem from Hannah's throat. Still she contacted a back-up just in case. The only thing she found herself stumped on was the facade.

Art Deco, the style of the 1920's drew its inspiration from the manmade world not the natural one, the early 21st-century artist awe at skyscrapers coming to dominate the horizon; it was all shimmering panels, clean lines, and angles. Cracks, mother nature, didn't obey those rules. There would be no repair that would disguise the damage.

She sent a quick text to the artist. They'd say the crack represented the coming troubles of the 30's and 40's. The depression, World War II the ever present racial schism that was still a part of America's psyche and soul.

It was a bullshit answer, but it would have to do. Three fires extinguished Iris headed up to her apartment to have some lunch, spend some time with Ness and start getting ready. She still had lots to do by six p.m.

* * *

 

Back home Nessa kept Iris company during a quick work-out and wash-up. She'd have a longer shower just before it was time to get dressed. She nursed Nessa while she ate, feed her daughter lunch and then it was time get herself ready while making sure everything and everyone was ready by 6 pm.

Everything that went right or wrong was forwarded to her. Everyone that had never participated before came to her or her office for directions. Nessa was everywhere. Demanding her attention, wanting to be nursed, wanting makeup put on because her mama was being made up. Mimicking the authoritarian attitude she took with workers. She could have left Nessa with Christina, but she'd found it was better to simply let the child pester her right up until the party itself. She behaved better later.

The Favorites had their pick of any clothing or cosmetics that came into Central City. Iris had chosen a red sequined gown with the straight lines and dropped wait that had been popular in the 1920's. For her head piece, she has a white circlet beaded with seed pearls and white crystals and a spray of curling white feathers that arced up and around her face.  

She wore the classic long double-strand pearls and low heeled t straps. She certainly looked like a flapper. Shawna had seen the outfit and jokingly called her Sug'. Iris had offered to sing to her lover then, volunteering that she knew most of the words to push the button, it had been a good night.

Dressed Iris made her way through the penthouse doing a full circuit with Eric and Felicity coming along beside her. Linda was checking on the kitchens making sure everything was coming along with the menu. They checked the décor, the live orchestra playing for tonight's guest, Eobard's hookah room, the salon for the special guest.

She'd started First Fridays shortly after announcing her pregnancy. Eobard had agreed to stop pimping her out to his friends, among other things in exchange for her being a cooperative parent. Dr. Wells hadn't believed that. Insisting that she needed something other than promises, that she needed power in her own right, invaluable resources.

First Fridays, taking charge of the bookkeeping office, taking over the grants, those things had brought her power, but not enough. For a moment her jaw clenched.  

At least she liked Barry. In another life, she could have even seen herself dating him.

"A penny for your thoughts," Eric said pulling her out of her reverie.  

Iris snorted.  

"Do my thoughts really matter around here?"

He gave her arm a friendly squeeze.

"They matter to us boss."

She smiled.

"Well, what do you think Eric? Are we ready for tonight?"

"I think, as usual, you've arranged another excellent First Fridays for spring, and you are criminally under appreciated around here."

"You always know just what to say."

It was his turn to smile.

"You should probably check on the Regulars."

Her lips twisted at the reminder.  

"You know he is looking for replacements for Pete and Gwen."

Eric nodded.

"They're a few who are underaged. I marked them already."

"Good, thanks. I'll pull them out and have a look at the rest."

With half-an-hour, until the guest were due to arrive Iris headed to the bookkeeper's office where she let The Regulars wait whenever Eobard was having a party.

If she had her way, there would be no Regulars, but she couldn't have her way, so she did her best to minimize the damage.  

Twenty-three attractive young men and women lounged in the bookkeeping office all dressed for the party, done up with whatever cosmetics they could make in their kitchens. Half of them had attended every party thrown at the tower. They were she supposed a bit like meta-human groupies for lack of a better word. They partied, got gifts and kept the meta-humans happy.  

They all looked up and alert when she entered.

Iris read over their names from her pad.

"Nancy Brown, Yusef Gordon, Georgiana McGowan, and Thea Bowman."  

The four stood up.

Iris looked them over, bright, young things thinking they were ready to party.

"You're underaged," There were sighs at that. "Go home I don't want to see any of you back here again until you're eighteen years old."

"But-"

Iris glared at them as if they were naughty children from whom she expected instant obedience.

"You don't want me to remember you."

Yusef shut up, and they filed out.

Of the remaining she recognized ten right away and sent them to the penthouse, leaving behind nine new faces. She dismissed two others that looked entirely too innocent and naïve. Another she sent away for not making eye contact. She didn't know if the latter was lacking self-esteem, dishonest or autistic and unable but either way Iris decided that they didn't need to be anywhere near Eobard right now.  

That left one other young woman who concerned her a petite, strikingly beautiful dark-skinned woman with close cropped hair and wide doe-eyes.

She was over eighteen, though not by much, and she didn’t seem particularly naïve or innocent, but she was incredibly beautiful. Once Eobard saw her- well she probably wouldn't leave the tower for months. She was probably hoping for that. That glamour, the popularity, being so close to the seat of power in Central City. These children had no idea what they were in for.

Maybe it was because she was young. Maybe it was because Iris didn’t want to see another young black woman in her situation. Maybe it was because of her name, but Iris was not letting her pass.

"Hope McFarlan, go home."

The girl gave her a dismayed look, but perhaps recalling the warning to the others, she turned on her heel and left. She sent the remaining Regulars up to the penthouse before heading to the control room.

Eobard was there ahead of her, suited and handsome in his black tux sitting before a giant monitor panel with CC feeds coming from every room of the penthouse except the bathrooms and the bedroom.

Iris looked at him and reminded herself that Felicity's bug sweeper had never yet found a camera in her apartment or that of any of the favorites.

"Your artisans have done amazing work, but they do that every time."

Eobard turned in his chair and took a moment to give her a lingering, appreciative look.

"You look magnificent as always. I almost want to turn our guest away."

"We'd be terrible host."

"Happy hosts," he sighed. "But then all that food would go to waste," Eobard shook his head. "I have a gift for you."

It was something of a tradition between them, him giving her gifts before a party or celebration. She imagined he had, amongst other things in his secret room, a collection of jewelry and valuables to dole out as he saw fit. Iris crossed the room to stand beside him, and he drew the single strand of pearls from her wrist and replaced with shimmering triple strand letting his fingers linger lightly on her arm.

"They're beautiful," she commented.

"Made still more beautiful by the arm they adorn."

He pressed a kiss on her knuckles and met her eyes clear blue gaze full of sensual promise. Iris felt a familiar tightening in the pit of her belly. He smiled devilish and self-satisfied before turning back to the monitors.

Iris stood behind him a moment hands resting on his shoulders before taking the seat next to him.

Felicity, Eric, and Linda were mingling already along with the Regulars, and their guest started to file in.

"Ugh! That dress. It's like an Oscar's Halloween costume?"

Iris burst out laughing as her eyes found a woman wearing a gold lamae gown with mask. The straight lines did make her look a lot like the Oscars statue.

If there was one thing, she could say for Eobard he had taste. They sat for a while chatting idly, gossiping about their guest and commenting on their outfits sometimes complimenting and other times making the occasional less than friendly jab about their appearance.

They usually waited about thirty to forty minutes before joining, and Iris felt her thoughts wandering to Barry who still hadn't  returned her messages.

Dr. Wells was always telling her to trust her instincts about people. That her emotional intelligence was her edge over the people like Eobard Thawne or Hunter Zolomon who were deficient in those areas. Her instincts told her she could trust Barry Allen, that he was her replacement for Hunter, and perhaps he was that didn't mean he would cooperate. That he didn't have some commitment elsewhere, a girlfriend or wife perhaps.

And Eobard would want his replacement for Hunter,

Iris' thoughts drifted. Her mind going back to her conversation with Sally. Even though she'd always been adamant about not having her fortune read she could not put Sally's words from her mind.

_"You don't have any more time for fear or procrastination."_

_"Concentrate on Hunter Zolomon...He is way more dangerous to you than you realize."_

She shivered and forced her mind away from the week Eobard had forced her to spend with Hunter. She was getting rid of Hunter replacing him with Barry. What more was there to do?

Worried again that Barry hadn't called her back Iris pulled her phone out of her clutch, still nothing. The message could have gotten lost amidst the other notifications. After all he was the most popular person in all of Central City he must have had thousands of messages.

But she recalled his answer to her on that first night Eobard left her in his apartment.

He'd wanted her that much was plain and somehow he'd found the will to resist that desire under circumstances most men would have found irresistible. Had he shifted back to that stance? The moment in the Singing Trees a one-time lapse?

   It was the kind of incorruptible fortitude that she wanted in the meta-human she would recommend to replace Hunter when the time came.  But as much as she liked him Barry Allen was no use to her if he was not open to her influence.

"It's time."

"Hmm? Right."

Iris patted her hair and smoothed her dress. Eobard straightened his lapels. Hand in hand they strode out of the control room to stand at the head of the curving, double staircase. Eobard leaned down and whispered one of his corny jokes in her ear just like the first time they'd done this; they never failed to make her smile just a little.

"Ladies and gentlemen your host Eobard Thawne and Iris West."

Hand-in-hand they made their way downstairs to the welcoming applause of their guest. And though Iris tried to stop herself she scanned the crowd looking for Barry's smiling face and felt the weight of disappointment when she did not find it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. There was no WestAllen interaction this time, sorry but chapters 11-14, the last chapters of part 1 are pretty much all WestAllen so hang in there. Before you go take a moment to say hi in the comments and let me know what you think and subscribe so you don't miss an update and I hope you all have a great weekend.


	11. Ulysses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry joins his fellow meta-humans for a dazzling 1st Fridays Party and his resolution to stay away from Iris West begins to crumble almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, so sorry for the months long break between updates. I just kinda got bogged down in these last few chapters of part one for a bit. I'm flying free again, and I hope to finish part 1 of After the Accelerator this month. Are you guys enjoying the new season? What's your favorite episode thus far? For me its probably number episode two.

Barry stood in front security shifting from foot-to-foot. He was late, very late. The party had started at 6 pm, and it was now 6:51 pm, apparently there was an acknowledgment for him, and he was missing it.

He'd woken from a nap after a brief visit with Patty to his phone flashing an urgent message.

He'd only had enough time to see Patty and make sure she wasn't at the intake house for anything more serious than exhaustion, dehydration, and malnourishment, like most of the people at the intake house, before a physical therapist had come and carted her off. He'd gone home, fallen asleep and woken to a message from Iris West.

**I.W: 'You've been added to the list of notable attendees, the acknowledgments will start promptly at 6:45pm.**

It had been 6:40 when he'd woken up. How long did the acknowledgments last?

"Come on man." Barry looked at the security guard with pleading eyes.

"Sorry the thumbprint app was only added this morning, we've had some problems with it.  Extra security, given the circumstances, everyone was notified." The guard looked at him with disdain.

Barry sighed; thanks to his newfound popularity he had over 10,000 notifications.

"How did you get all those other people in there?"

"Most of them arrived at 6 pm when there were ten of us out here."

"Of course."

His lips twisted into a frown. Time was back in his life, and he was back to being late for everything. The security guard's phone beeped, and he shook his head before picking up his walkie-talkie to radio for another guard.

"Look," Barry held up his phone displaying the text from Iris about the acknowledgments.

"Well, you been missed that." The guard shrugged nonplussed.

"Come on man. I'm the most popular man in Central City."

"Maybe or maybe you're a meta-human that can change their appearance and the real Barry Allen is unconscious and tied up in a closet somewhere."

Barry rolled his eyes.

"Okay, but then if I was an impersonator would I stand here and wait to be fingerprinted and found out?"

"Probably not, but then again maybe you can change your fingerprints."

"Oh my God." Barry bounced on his toes. "What good is a fingerprint analysis if I can change it?"

"If you go in there and you hurt somebody, and I don't scan you I get in trouble."

"Okay, okay I don't want you to get into trouble, but there's got to be another way I can prove I am who I say I am if that app isn't working. How about this?" Barry vibrated his hand and pushed it into the wall.

The guard shrugged.

"You could be a meta-human that copies powers. They had a mutant  like that in the X-Men. You could be psychically projecting a completely different appearance, like psychic paper, but with your face."

"Fine whatever," Barry sighed and leaned against the wall hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. His thoughts went almost immediately to Iris.

Waking to see a text from her had started him feeling more than just a little guilty for ignoring her earlier message. Just because he thought they probably shouldn't get involved didn't mean he should have ignored her text message. She'd been nothing but helpful and supportive to him since the moment he'd walked into her office looking for a job. Even tonight she'd made sure he knew about the acknowledgment after he'd ignored her. Barry shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

_She was involved in the planning perhaps she'd been too busy to even notice._

Another security officer walked up. He examined the first guard's phone, shook his head and pulled out his phone.

"Right here Mr. Allen."

Barry sighed and gave his thumbprint. It flared green after a moment, and the guard knocked on the double doors.

The doors opened inward spilling soft golden light into the hall along with lively and energetic jazz.

"Sorry about that," the guard waved him through

"Just doing your job."

He entered into a foyer and made his way down a short hall that opened into a great ballroom.

He'd seen Mr.Thawne's office with its mid-century furnishings polished to a high shine. Barry hadn't quite known what he'd expected the party to look like, but he hadn't expected to walk into what could have been the set for Jay Gatsby's mansion in West Egg.

White marble columns soared into high vaulted ceilings. The soft golden light came from what had to be hundreds of white candles each casting its own golden glow. The room was crowded with people, men in tuxedos and women in sparkling sequined gowns. There was a stage with a small orchestra on one end and a partially enclosed dais on the other. There were seating areas with lounges around the edges of the ballroom and a buffet on the far wall.

Barry scanned the ballroom before he could stop himself, eyes seeking out Iris West.

"Hi." A beautiful woman in a midnight blue dress with soft brown hair curled into gleaming waves and bright blue eyes approached him. "I'm Felicity Smoak I work with Iris, and you're the most popular man in Central City, Barry Allen."

"So my phone tells me."

She laughed. "Cute and a sense of humor, no wonder my boss likes you."

"Your boss?" Barry frowned.

"Iris, of course."

"Of course." Barry felt his ears grow hot suddenly. He'd told himself not to think about Iris at least not like this, but hearing this Felicity say that Iris liked him- If Iris genuinely liked him-

"Um, what else did your boss say?"

Felicity grinned, eyes bright she leaned toward him with a conspiratorial air just as a very cute Asian woman in a pink and gold gown walked over. The two women linked arms, and the newcomer handed Felicity a glass.

"Hey, girl."

"Hey. This is Barry Allen."

"Oh, I know the most popular man in Central City." Linda looked him up and down and gave him a wink. Barry swallowed face getting hot, and her smile grew.

"Linda Park by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Barry said shaking her hand."

You're really cute you know that. Iris mentioned you were cute, but she didn't tell us you were this cute."

"Keeping him all to herself," Felicity put in.

"Mhmm."

Barry wanted to steer the conversation back to whatever Felicity had been about to tell him, but then Hunter strode over with Liza right beside him.

"Allen you finally made it."

"Hi Barry," Liza said with a smile.

"Hey, guys."

"Ladies." Hunter nodded, and Liza greeted Felicity and Linda with a wave.

Seeing the pair of meta-humans reminded Barry of his argument with Shawna.

"You missed your acknowledgment man."

"I went out for a bit and fell asleep when I came back, slept right through my alarm."

"Ohhh, are you feeling alright Allen?" Liza peered at him. "If you're still recovering you should be resting."

"I'm good, thanks."

"Good cause we saved something for you, come on," Hunter nodded toward the staircase.

"Nice to meet you, Barry Allen." Felicity said, and Linda waved as Barry reluctantly followed Hunter and Liza through the crowded ballroom.

He followed the pair up that grand double staircase to a room just inside the hallway.

The first thing Barry noticed about the room was what appeared to be a hookah sitting on the coffee table; he couldn't be sure, he'd only seen pictures.  There were a couple bookcases on the far wall, a pool table and a small bar. A young man in dressed in the black and white that wait staff always wore at events stood at the bar waiting.

"We're going to play pool?"

"Perhaps later, Allen."

Barry turned at the sounds of Mr. Thawne's voice as the older man's hands clapped down on his shoulders.

"My friends, we're going to vape."

"Vape what?" Barry asked.

"When was the last time you had a good stiff drink, Allen?"

"I don't; there's no point. I tried to distill something; nearly killed myself." Barry shrugged. "Drugs are poisons anyway."

"So says the man who can't partake," Liza grinned and Hunter gave him a sympathetic look.

"I have a surprise for you Allen, pour a double for each of us Scott."

"Yes sir, Mr. Thawne." The attendant sitting at the bar got out four rocks glasses and poured an amber liquor into each, filling them halfway.

Barry frowned and glanced at Hunter and Liza.

Before the accident, Barry had primarily been a social drinker. He'd have a few beers at a party or do a few shots when out with friends at a club, but he'd only been truly drunk a hand full times in his life. Typically he was happy to have a few drinks, get buzzed and party with his friends. Since the accident though there had been times when he envied the people around him taking advantage of alcohol to numb out the world for a night.

The attendant passed out the glasses and Barry gave an experimental sniff as a spicy sweetness that put him in mind of cozy fall nights before the fireplace bloomed in the air just above the glass.

"Absinthe?" Barry asked.

Mr. Thawne laughed.

"No, not quite. Speedster special, something I brewed up. A few shots of this will get a speedster good and drunk."

"It's lethal for humans and most metas though," Liza said with a wink.

"It is?"

"Scared Allen," Hunter challenged.

"I mean if its lethal for humans…."

"Don't worry Allen I have no desire to poison my Special in employees. Now let's have a toast." Mr. Thawne smiled and raised his glass. "To Barry Allen, the most popular man in Central City."

They clinked their glasses and Barry flushed feeling a little put on the spot by the toast. He took a cautious sip of his drink, something that was lethal to humans had to taste truly foul.

The liquor was warm, slightly sweet and thick on the tongue with only a mild alcoholic burn; it went down easy bleeding a trail of warmth down his throat to settle a pleasant heat in his stomach.

The others downed their shots, and after a moment Barry did the same; it had been too long since he'd been buzzed much less drunk.

Mr. Thawne smiled at them, blue eyes bright.

"Have a seat." The older man pulled one of the chairs up to hookah on the coffee table while Hunter and Liza settled on the sofa, Barry took the remaining seat and sat his empty glass down on the coffee table.

Scott refilled their glasses and Barry studied the hookah. There were two glass bulbs; one at the bottom filled with a dark liquid and the second connected to the first by a short stem. There were four metal straws in the second bulb, and a little brazier sat underneath the thing. Scott lit the brazier and Barry sipped his second drink.

Until college, he'd never smoked anything stronger than a stolen cigarette, like every college student he'd tried weed a couple of times, but it had never made a strong impression on him.

"What's in there?"

"More speedster special, but a different flavor, orange." Mr. Thawne looked an entirely too pleased with himself.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

Barry started suddenly feeling eager to try the hookah. He'd never thought he'd have orange anything again.

Since he was a speedster he could run down to Florida or California or anywhere oranges, lemons or limes grew. In the early A.A. period he had, but without human attention, the groves were in a sad state, the fruit covered with pest. There was a lot one could do when they were a speedster, but nature moved to its own time and rhythms. He could prune, water and fertilize in minutes, but he couldn't spend all his time looking after plants. Pests came to the groves when he was gone; unexpected storms flooded the orchards and blight attacked the roots without his knowledge, farming was more than a full-time job.

"Look at that face," Liza snickered. "You're never gonna get rid of this guy Mr. Thawne."

Barry shrugged his missed oranges.

"That's how we want everyone to feel about Central City."

The liquor heated slowly, evaporating into the top bulb while they talked. When the top bulb was damp and shiny with moisture, Mr. Thawne took the first pull inhaling and then holding before breathing out a clear mist.

"Watch Hunter and Liza." The other two took their turns. Liza smiling as she exhaled and even Hunter looked a little happier.

"It's moments like this when I think we should relocate to Florida," Liza said a broad grin on her face.

"You didn't enjoy winter, Liza?" There was a teasing note in Hunter's voice.

"No, and last year's was the worst since the accident, plus we could have oranges, limes, and lemons. I miss key lime pie," Liza sighed.

"The globe does seem like it might be cooling," Mr. Thawne added. "Allen it's your turn."

"Right."

"If that is the case this winter will be harsher than last year," Liza complained.

Barry puckered his lips and took his pull. The alcohol vapor filled his mouth with the bright, clean, sweetness of oranges before it seeped into his tongue, lungs and nasal passages.  He could almost feel it soaking into his bloodstream.

He would've sworn over the pleasure of it all. Electricity, warm water on tap, pears, beauty and oranges, Central City was a P.A. miracle. He held the vape a few seconds before letting it go.

"Look at that," Liza said. "He took it like a pro."

"Liza thought you were a total square Allen, guess not."

There were chuckles from his companions, and Barry just shook his head still marveling over the taste of oranges on his tongue.

"How was last winter up north Allen? Was it bad there," Hunter asked.

"Depends on what you mean by good and bad. By all predictions, global warming was a bad thing for humanity. Species extinction, the climate reconfigured, cities and peoples wiped out. We don't have fur, but we're suited for winter, it's when we evolved into existence, so it was great, maybe, in the grand scheme of things. As far as keeping everyone in Ithaca warmed and fed it wasn't so great. I'd never really seen winter be like that, to be honest."

Hunter chuckled then.

"Millenials never experienced real winter huh'?" Hunter said.

The Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers had said the same thing. Not that they'd enjoyed it any more than he had.

"Well no worries, Barry Central City has solved most of those problems."

Barry shook his head recalling the pinch of hunger as he'd fainted in the doorway of the Intake House.

"The first couple winters were bad, even with the milder weather. People were already starting to farm and get good crops too, but getting everything harvested on time, getting everything stored, getting food to people-'" Mr. Thawne steepled his fingers. "Farmers had crop rotting in the fields while people starved just ten miles away."

"Damn," Barry said.

They talked a bit about some of the challenges Central City had faced. Iris had gone over a lot of this during his orientation, but Mr. Thawne, Hunter, Liza covered it in greater detail, in particular, some of the resistance to practical, common sense ideas. Barry wasn't entirely sure he agreed with no currency, but he understood it.

_Where would money come from right now? What government would back it?_

If people contribute to the smooth functioning of Central City then why shouldn't eat and be comfortable and happy?

His glass was refilled a couple of times and by the time the bulb was finished Barry was reclining in his seat, long legs stretched out before him.

Between the liquor and the vape in his system, Barry found his mind drifting the one place he'd told it not to go, and he couldn't seem to leash it, not that he truly wanted to. Iris.

He'd only spent this past week with her, but she was just amazing. More than amazing, from the respect and genuine liking she'd commanded everywhere they'd gone to the way she already seemed to know him she was perfect. And God she was beautiful...His fantasy of her, of the two of them on his couch...He knew what she sounded like now, what she felt like, what she tasted like…

"Allen. Allen!"

Barry started.

"You were gone."

"I suppose we probably shouldn't refill," Mr. Thawne said eyeing him.

Barry sat up straight and forced himself to focus.

"I definitely shouldn't  do anymore." His thought had been to get buzzed, but he was already starting to feel a little drunk, anything more would push him over the edge. He didn't want that not for his first party in Central City.  Liza nodded, Barry thought he saw relief in Hunter's expression and Mr. Thawne shrugged.

"It's still early," Mr. Thawne said voice thoughtful. "Scott we're done."

They started back to the ballroom, the party nearly coming to a halt for Mr. Thawne and his entourage. Guest stopped dancing and chatting smile and wave as they made their way to the far end of the ballroom. Mr. Thawne stopped to shake the hand or make a remark to couple guest as they went. A languid feeling stole over him, and Barry took it all in with a smile. It had the feeling of a red carpet entrance. Even Hunter seemed amused, and Liza beamed soaking up the moment.

They came to a dais at the far end of the ballroom, and Barry felt his breath catch as he took it in.

Iris stood at the head of it flanked by the two women he'd seen earlier, Linda and Felicity and a black man that he'd seen around but had yet to meet.

She wore a sequined gown of deep red with that dropped waist and flapper's skirt. Her skin glowed warm and rosy in the soft golden light, and she wore a headdress that would rival the ones he'd seen in movies set in the 20's. White and feathery it arced up around her head gracing her face and eyes with a cloudy, heavenly frame. Her dark hair shortened in a bob suiting to the party's theme. He felt a twist of anxiety in his gut.

Mr. Thawne chuckled at his reaction.

"She's yours for just one more night Allen." And then the king of Central City climbed the stairs taking them two at a time, claiming Iris' hand when he reached the top. Hunter and Liza came up behind him mounting the dais and turning to look back at the ballroom at its excited guest. Barry followed their lead doing the same.

For a moment they stood at the top of the platform looking down on Mr. Thawne's cheering crowd. Then Mr. Thawne gestured to the orchestra, they resumed playing, and the party started again. There were three lounges on the dais one at the head and two flanking it, all centered around a coffee table. The candelabra scattered throughout the hall were position here as well casting the dais in that same golden glow.

Mr. Thawne settled on the lounge at the far end Iris on his right, Linda on his left. Leaving the rest of them to sit wherever they chose. Hunter and Liza stuck together. Barry settled with them. There were a couple of other people there that Barry didn't recognize and they settled with Felicity they settled on the remaining lounge.

Almost the moment they were seated wait staff appeared with platters of finger food. Some fried and breaded strips of meat that could have been anything; Barry hoped they were chicken or rabbit; fried rabbit was delicious. There was also asparagus wrapped in what looked like prosciutto with what he hoped were slivers of cantaloupe, something that had been baked in a flaky crust, pot stickers and a number of other finger foods that Barry couldn't name.

The scent of the food stirred his hunger, the speedster appetite quelling the anxiety that had built in his stomach since he'd realized ignoring her text from that morning was just plain rude. Like he'd gotten intimate with a woman and then ignored her the next day. How had that ever seemed like a good idea?

The others began loading up their plates. Barry tried to meet Iris' eyes, but her attention was on making a plate for Mr. Thawne. That relaxed feeling of being pleasantly buzzed faded just a bit. He didn't want her angry with him.

"These are just the hors-d'oeuvres, Allen. We've got," Mr. Thawne paused here, turning to Iris, a hand on her knee."What else is on the menu Iris?"

"Lake trout, stuffed goose, a vegetable quiche with spinach and cheese, rice pilaf, potatoes roasted with pearl onions and garlic with your choice of fruit tarts or cream puffs for dessert."

"Wow, this is amazing Mr. Thawne."

"The compliments go to Iris; she put all off this together."

Hunter shifted on the couch and Barry glanced at him in time to catch an annoyed look on his face.

"Thank you Eobard."

"This is really something Iris," Barry said turning his focus back to her. "I haven't seen a spread like this since, well, since the accident."

"Thank you, Allen." She said with a small, tight smile not quite meeting his eyes.

"You're welcome." Barry bit his lip; she was definitely annoyed with him.

With a sigh the speedster filled his appetizer plate sampling everything, he could enjoy the food at least. Maybe look-out for a chance to apologize to her later, get her to understand.

The strips turned out to be fried rabbit, and they were delicious, along with the potstickers and the prosciutto. Mr. Thawne ordered up another round of drinks which Barry sipped out of polite deference but otherwise ignored. He was not getting drunk.

"Allen your first week is almost over. How do you feel about working in The Tower?"

Barry's eyes flicked to Iris, but she was watching the party.

"It's good so far; everyone is friendly and helpful. Iris has been indispensable."

"Just doing my job." She said with an easy, graceful shrug.

"Well, I appreciate it very much. I know this would be a lot harder otherwise."

She met his eyes then for just a moment.

"Thank you."

Barry felt his hopes rise; he hadn't irrevocably offended her.

"Listen Mr. Thawne," he shifted his attention back to his boss. "This city is just unbelievable. You've got solar power, clean water on tap, pears, the intake houses an intranet…"

"We're very proud of Central City." Eobard smiled expression smug, and Barry did not begrudge him.

"You've done so much in five years; the rest of us are just sitting in the dark ages."

"Hopefully a very brief one."

"Hopefully. I'm just very happy working here," Barry grinned.

"Good, you're certainly doing well. Most popular man in Central City after just one week on the job."

Barry felt Hunter's weight shifting down at the other end of the lounge and peaked over Liza's head to see the other speedster studying his plate.

"I told you he was special." Iris said, and since Barry was looking at him, he saw Hunter's gaze flick over Iris. It was too fast for her to perceive and since Mr. Thawne was looking at Iris rather than the rest of them,  he missed it. Barry saw it, a look so cold he felt he chilled himself and quickly turned his attention back to the plate, disturbed enough that he couldn't even enjoy the fact that she'd said he was special.

"You'll feel differently  in December when there's only nine hours of sunshine a day, it's been overcast for a week, and you've got to spend four hours on a treadmill."

"It was one time." Mr. Thawne said his tone apologetic. Hunter surprised him then by smiling so warm and affable that Barry wondered if he'd imagined the coldness in man's gaze a moment ago.

Liza chuckled, and Barry found himself wondering at the story here.

"Allen on more piece of business and then we're done."

"Ok."

"I think I'm going to keep you and Baez working together."

"I don't have any preference." He said remembering his promise not to make trouble for Shawna.

"Good."

The conversation moved on shifting focus to the food and music and some of the guest.

With Hunter and Liza having a friendly chat, while Mr. Thawne's attention shifted to Linda, leaving both himself and Iris without a partner. He tried to catch her eyes once or twice, but she ignored looking out over the ballroom, checking her phone and finally joining the conversation with Mr. Thawne and Linda.

Barry found himself eating and stealing surreptitious glances at her.  

Her legs in those strappy red heels, her well-formed arms, the graceful column of her throat. She shifted toward Mr. Thawne at one point, laughing at something the other man said and Barry saw that her dress was cut low in the back, revealing a long expanse of smooth skin that his hand itched to touch.

"I'm going to check on some of our guests," She said to Mr. Thawne.

"Good. Why don't you take Allen with you? Some of the guild heads want to meet him."

"The most popular man in Central City?" Iris looked at him now, that familiar dazzling smile on her face. "Of course." She started toward his end of the dais, and he got to his feet as she drew near.

"Come on Barry." She looked up at him, holding out her hand and meeting his eyes for the first time that night.

Amusement sparked in her eyes, dark and bottomless they caught and held his, a brilliant depth that he could lose himself in. He reached for her hand almost absently, and an instant, almost electric heat sizzled up his arm. The music, the chatter, even the food Barry forgot all of those. In that instant, only Iris' eyes and the heat sizzling between them remained. He swallowed skin heating, the instinct to pull her body in close, strong.

"Shall we?" Her words sounded just a bit breathless, and he wondered if she was just as affected as he was.

He nodded, and she lead them down the platform.

* * *

 

Eobard motioned to one of his attendants.

"Get about four of the Regulars over here."

"Right away sir." Scott moved off.

He settled back, pleased with himself watching the party move around him, people dancing, eating, entertaining themselves. For all that humankind had changed in 600 hundred years, it remained so much the same. The food, music, and dress may have been savage, but in appearance, this party wasn't much different from a gathering in his own time. Of course, these simple primitives couldn't organize themselves enough to stop destroying the planet through poor resource management or distribute their food an efficient manner, but that was what he liked about them. It made them easy to control.

So many poor, hard-working people unrewarded under capitalism, they'd fallen right in line with the promise of a reward for their work and a little leisure time.

He grinned and listened a moment to Hunter and Liza as they bad-mouthed Allen in their petty jealousy. The team of rivals would keep his allies divided and fighting for his approval, simple, primitive, easily controlled.

He shook his head, amused at their destruction of Allen's character and surveyed the ballroom.

He caught a glimpse of Iris' feathery white fascinator moving through the crowd and smiled wistfully. She was one of his favorite primitives beautiful, smart without being too smart, entertaining and very hardworking. He hadn't lied to her when he praised her work in putting together this festival or any of the previous First Fridays.

He'd found he missed her this past week. They'd fallen into a routine of having dinner together a couple of nights per week over the past few years, a routine that had only been interrupted if he were busy.

Eobard sipped his drink.

Their routine would be re-established next week. She'd probably still be a bit put-out, maybe even complain that he'd broken his promise, but in the end, she would submit to him they always did.

Iris was well-fed, well-housed, well-clothed, she doted on their daughter, and she enjoyed the power she wielded through the bookkeeping office. People who were comfortable and content did not give up their comforts very easily.

She'd learned her place years ago and had never once forgotten it.

Hunter and Liza's conversation had moved on from trash talking Allen to a debate on how much the globe might cool over the next ten years. He was about to give his opinion on the matter when one of his security approached with four Regulars. Three of them he'd seen at other First Fridays.

Eobard gave them a nod of acknowledgment, his eyes drawn to the newcomer. A striking young woman with exceptionally dark skin, glowing against the soft white of her dress. There was nothing 20's about her bared shoulders or close-cropped hair, but it didn't make her any less stunning.

He motioned for the group to approach, taking the young beauty's hand and drawing her down beside him.

"What's your name lovely one?"

"I'm Hope McFarland sir."

He studied her a moment, pointed chin, wide dark eyes, petite and delicate no taller than Iris with lithe, slender arms and delicate ankles. She was fae in her appearance.

The Regulars settled in  with Hunter and Liza and his remaining guests.

"Get our guest some wine." He gave that order before turning his attention back to Hope.

"I am  very pleased to make your acquaintance Hope." Eobard kissed the back of her hand with a smile. Iris had done very well indeed.

* * *

 

Thanks so much for reading. Come visit me on tumblr @ [trashywestallen](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/trashywestallen), I'd love to chat. I have another multi-chapter westallen fic, give it a read if you haven't already: [All That Remains.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12243969)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- In this instance the chapter title, Ulysses, refers to the Franz Ferdinand song Ulysses which of course refers Homer's The Odyssey. You don't need to read Odyssey to gain further insight into Barry's character in After the Accelerator just head on over to spotify and listen to the song.
> 
> Thanks for reading, once again sorry for the delay. Please take a moment to leave me a comment. I worked on this a lot so I'd like to know how it reads and remember to subscribe so you don't miss an update.


	12. Time and Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey there dear readers, sorry for the delay on this. I've been busy with the holidays and visiting family. So this is the longest chapter of After the Accelerator yet, breaking from my self imposed format of two 2,000 word scenes per chapter. There was just too much going on at this party to finish it in four 2,000 word scenes. Did any of you watch NBC's Hannibal?  
> There is a brief Hannibal reference in this chapter. Let me know if you catch it. This chapter could be triggery for some of you, please skip to the end notes for warnings.

**Chapter 12**

Tall, broad-shouldered, fit, blonde-hair, blue-eyes, in B.A. Hunter Zolomon, had probably been quite the catch, at least for white women. The blonde-haired-blue-eyed thing had never done it for her or most of the black women she knew. Still, she hadn't found him unattractive when she'd first come to Thawne Tower.  Even now his tuxedo jacket strained just a bit across his broad chest suggesting a pair of taut pecs. Of course, having known him for nearly five years, Iris could barely stand the sight of him.

 _"It's Hunter Zolomon you're afraid of-….He's more of a danger to you than you realize._ "

He didn't look so very dangerous right now. Under the winking golden lights of hundreds of candles, laughing at some joke that Liza must have told as the pair moved through a waltz on the crowded ballroom floor he didn't look dangerous at all. He looked debonair, civilized, the perfect cover for the thing underneath his- What did they call it? Person-suit.

Iris signaled a waiter for a refill on her wine. She'd fed Nessa before pumping the rest of her milk for the night, so her breast were empty, well as empty as they'd been since her daughter was born. Of course, the way she was drinking she'd have to discard any new milk in the morning, but shit she got to drink sometimes.

"Is something going on with you?" Felicity asked as she settled beside her on the couch. "You've been kinda distracted, and you keep watching Hunter, he's gonna notice."

They were gathered on Eobard's dais, the four remaining Favorites keeping themselves entertained, while Hunter and Liza danced nearby, all of them waiting for the return of their king.

"It's nothing. I saw Sallie earlier."

A collective "ahhh" escaped the other favorites. As calm and composed as she always was the Favorites all knew a visit with Sallie nearly always left her rattled.

"Nothing we should be discussing at a party anyway."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, really we don't need to talk about anything."

"Good because Felicity and I have an idea about your Barry problem." Linda smiled pleased with herself.

"I don't have a Barry problem."

Linda, Eric, and Felicity all shared a look.

"Sure you do boss," Eric said. "But the ladies here have a solution."

"We could approach Allen when he arrives, soften him up a little," Linda suggested with that dimpled smile.

"If he arrives," Iris remarked drily. She hadn't mentioned Barry ignoring her text messages today to them, but they knew her well enough to know that things weren't going as expected.

"What were you thinking?"

"If he arrives we'll do the same thing we did with Mr. Strahan," Felicity said batting her eyelashes at Linda. "Ooh, you're just as cute up close as Iris said."

"He'll probably say something self-deprecating," Linda remarked.

"I'll laugh and say you were right about his sense of humor too. I'll pretend to talk too much-"

"-Pretend," Linda said.

"Haha, I'll let it slip that you actually like him as a person."

"But I'll interrupt, start flirting be a bit more aggressive, winking at him, fidgeting with his lapel the usual stuff," Linda said. "He'll be feeling confident, reassured and ready for you."

Iris nodded they were right. It was one thing to say something nice to someone's face, quite another to say nice things behind their back. Effusive praise could always hide a motive, even if that praise were honest, but there was very little to be gained by praising someone behind their back.

"That'll work," Iris said thinking not for the first time that Linda and Felicity were too smart for this type of thing, they were all too smart for this.  "Let me talk to security, make sure they delay him a bit when he arrives so you two can get in place."

"We already did boss." The pair grinned clearly pleased with themselves.

"Well done make sure to keep an eye on the chat."

The pair nodded.

"Alright guys, let's get some pictures for the website."  Felicity, Linda, and Eric settled in around her smiling for a selfie.

Furniture in the 1920's had had something of a simplified Victorian look, tufted backs, scroll arms and delicately carved wood crowns. The chairs and lounges scattered throughout the ballroom were mock-ups that they'd covered with fabric and stapled, pinned or glued into place to get that tufted look, but for Mr. Thawne's dias they were real, furniture they'd scavenged and refurbished over the last few months.

Three tufted velvet lounges, one red, two black wood polished to a high shine, six foot high candelabra that had been carved over the last three months stood on either side of Mr. Thawne's lounge, an oriental rug beaten and cleaned for hours covered most of the platform.

Eobard didn't have any use for this furniture. The pictures would go up on the website, and eventually, this furniture would be awarded to some deserving Central City citizen who could brag about having the real 1920's furniture from Thawne Tower year 5, summer,  First Friday with authenticating pictures and everything.

Just as they were finishing up their pictures her phone buzzed and Iris checked it, smiling at a text from Shawna.  A couple of days ago she'd asked Shawna not to come to tonight's party at The Tower. They'd both known Barry was the reason. The other woman had been a bit distant since then. For all that Shawna knew the situation, Iris hadn't actually had a client in all the time they'd been involved. She'd only ever dealt with this aspect of Iris' life as an abstract.

**S.B.: 'Hey, I ran into a black couple looking for their daughter. She ran away from home a couple of weeks ago and came to Central City. They think she might have come to The Tower, maybe tried to get into the First Friday's Party as a regular. The girl's name is Hope McFarland. I told them you would help.**

**I.W.: 'She was here. I sent her away.'**

**S.B.: 'Any idea where she might have gone?'**

**I.W.: 'No, but if she ran away from home she's either staying in one of the hostels or with any friends or family she has in the city. She can stay in the hostels for 30 days without taking on regular work.**

**S.B. 'I'll let them know.'**

**I.W. 'Send me her picture. I can forward it to my contacts.'**

**S.B.'They'll really appreciate that Iris.' :D**

**I.W. 'It's the least I can do.':) You look like you're having fun in the pictures you sent earlier.**

**S.B.: "A blast. Wish you were here."**

**I.W.: "Maybe next time you'll be here."**

**S.B.: <3**

Another message came through just then this one from John; Barry had arrived.

"We saw it, boss." The two women got up and made their way toward the door. She watched them feeling just a tiny bit relieved until her eyes landed on Hunter talking with a group of other meta-humans. Iris shivered, suddenly chilled despite the night's warmth. Hunter was still laughing with his meta-human friends, but she felt absolutely certain at the moment that he utterly despised her.

"You ok boss?" Eric asked.

"I'm fine." Iris sipped her wine. Barry would be her solution to Hunter Zolomon; he had to be.

* * *

 

Wait staff moved along the edges of the crowd serving drinks and offering hors d'Oeuvres. Eobard had opened his cellar offering the grape wines they had scavenged over the years, along with newer vintages made from local fruits like apples and cherries and the better quality liquors they'd distilled.

Iris downed her drink finishing it in one gulp and forced herself to pay attention to the conversation happening around her and keep her eyes off Barry. He was far too handsome for his own good. Long and lean in his tuxedo, but not too skinny. She was supposed to be playing it cool, making him sweat, not thinking about how soft his hair had been when she'd tangled her fingers in it yesterday.

"You've done so much in five years; the rest of us are just sitting in the dark ages." Barry shook his head as he spoke.

"Hopefully a very brief one."

"Hopefully. I'm just very happy working here," Barry grinned.

"Good, you're certainly doing well. Most popular man in Central City after just one week on the job."

Hunter folded his arms and crossed his ankles, the movement catching her eyes.

What people said wasn't necessarily all that interesting, people thought about what they said, adjusted it for their audience, but Big Men like Hunter Zolomon gave far less thought to their bodies. Hunter didn't like this hearing Eobard praise Barry.

Good, if he was jealous of Barry than who knows, maybe she could somehow nudge them into open conflict. Alienating Hunter from Central City's golden boy would be another would step on the road of riding herself of him for good.

She had never believed Eobard would keep his word and of course he hadn't. She did, however, feel reasonably confident he would never let Hunter touch her again, that didn't shield the rest of her staff though. Eobard would do just about anything to further his ambitions, and the deal to be a willing mother to Nessa didn't cover them. Felicity hated Hunter just as much as she did.

She ate a few appetizers, chatted a while and then got to her feet, announcing her plans to check on the guild leaders and other notables.

"Why don't you take Allen with you? Some of the guild heads want to meet him."

"The most popular man in Central City? Of course."

It was show time, Iris smiled her most dazzling smile, and Barry got to his feet as she made her way toward the end of the dais.

"Come on Barry." She looked up at him, holding out her hand and meeting his eyes for the first time that night.

She was smiling probably like an idiot, and she couldn't stop herself. The moment she'd looked in Barry's eyes all the tension she'd been feeling throughout the night evaporated, pushed out by an unexpected bubbling, breathless happiness fizzing like champagne poured into a glass

His hand, warm and strong, closed around hers and an instant, almost electric heat sizzled up her arm. It was lust, she knew it was just lust, it had to be, and yet it rocked her to her core. The music, the chatter she forgot it all. There was only Barry and his heated gaze, but she wanted him away from here, away from Hunter and Eobard and the way they would leer.

"Shall we?"

He nodded, and Iris led him from the platform.

"How are you feeling, fully recovered?"

"Yeah, the ribs finally healed about an hour ago."

"Good." They made their way through the crowd, Barry's hand sure around hers, squeezing from time-to-time and Iris found herself reflexively squeezing back.

She lead him on a circuit of their noted and important guests. Jocasta the young woman who made her fragranced skin creams, Dr. Erickson for his work in the Northern Intake House, Guild Leader Brenda Barret and finally Janine Bardol for her help in solving scientific problem X'.

They talked and laughed with each of them for a bit, they all had questions for Barry and wanted to get their pictures taken with him. Once they'd completed their circuit of Notable Attendees, it was time to move on to other important guests.

"I have to ask. You've got a woman that makes lotions and a scientist that helped redesign existing electronic devices to reduce their energy dependence by 15%  being given the same honors. How does that work?"

"What do you mean?" She popped a mini ham and cheese puff pastry in her mouth.

"Why are they all being given the same honors? Isn't Dr. Erickson or Ms. Bardol's work more important?"

A hundred different rebuttals sprang to mind, and Iris found herself smiling as an exceptionally wicked response came to mind.

"Do you like having dry, itchy, tight skin?" She asked hoping he wasn't one of those dudes who didn't care about that kind of thing.

"No."

Iris bit her lower lip and leaned into his space, eyeing him as she trailed the back of one finger along his cheek.

"Barry," she pitched her voice low and breathy. "When you're getting close to a woman, intimate with her do you want to run your hands over rough, crusty skin or do you think silky smooth would be better? What if she shed a bunch of ash flakes in your bed? What do you think would feel nicer wrapped around your waist, hmm?"

He swallowed, and she saw that Adam's apple bob with it.

"What about when you're stroking her in the most intimate of places what do you think she'd like better?"

His eyes darkened, and his free hand settled on her waist pulling her closer, she smiled at that.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" He replied confusion in his green eyes

Iris bit down on her cheek to keep from laughing and took a step backward. He'd lost the thread of the conversation.

"Crusty skin or smooth skin?" She asked dropping the sultry seductress act. "Cause I mean if you like crusty better-"

"-You know what woman-"

She laughed now, and it was his turn to side-eye her.

"You already know the answer to that question," Barry said taking his queue from her.  "I get your point, one is nicer than the other, but good medical care is just more important. I mean look if you were gonna be trapped on a deserted island would you want the doctor or the lotion seller?"

She pretended to think. "Given the fact that the lotion seller had no knowledge of lotions and creams prior to the accident, she might actually be more inventive than the doctor. We might stand a better chance of escaping the island." Iris said playfully.

Barry gave her the most annoyed look, and she laughed.

"You'd pick the doctor," He insisted.

"Yes In a matter of life and death, of course, I'd pick the doctor, but thankfully we're doing a bit better than bare minimum survival, but besides the fact that poor skin hygiene can lead to infections like leprosy- like that was a thing to winters ago-"

"Gross."

"Yeah, it really was. Look we're not desperate people living in caves or trapped on deserted islands, so we don't have to make those kinds of choices. Central City needs innovation in all areas of life, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson are not coming back. Those industries have to be rediscovered; the products reformulated that takes work and time. You should talk to Jocasta one of these days away from here. You might feel differently."

"Maybe."

"What would you do?"

Barry seemed to consider a moment.

"Well, I see your point about innovation so I would do two separate awards. One for critical needs and one for important, but non-critical needs."

"The beginnings of an unfair world."

Barry looked mildly offended, and Iris shrugged.

"Look we already have a way of acknowledging the importance of critical needs. Critical services are awarded more resources, higher rankings and increased extra credit bonuses. Having a public ceremony that said these people were less important than those people or uplifting some services over another would only create unnecessary judgment in people's eyes even though we need both."

"You like a good debate don't you?"

"I may have had some of the strongest editorial pieces in my journalism classes," Iris admitted worrying suddenly that she might have turned him off.

He looked down at her smiling.

"You really care about what kind of future the people in this city have, what kind of world we move into."

"We're at an epoch," Iris replied thinking of Nessa.

"An epoch where we make sure all the doctors and lotion sellers are treated equally."

The teasing note in his voice made her laugh.

"Don't laugh. This is a serious, vital issue; we don't want a single lotion seller left out."

Amused she rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though I get it, you make good points about fairness especially with the way things were before the accident. Surgeons or doctors thinking of themselves as gods, diminishing essential services that let us function day-to-day like teachers and sanitation workers or lotion sellers, it was a mess." He said the last with a twinkle in his eye.

"You're never gonna let that go are you?"

"Nope. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to go back to the dais?"

Iris looked around spotting a quiet out of the way corner with two chairs.

"We can sit there."

"What do you want stuffed goose, lake trout or quiche?"

"What I want is fried rabbit."

It was Barry's turn to laugh.

"Who knew Bugs Bunny would be so delicious?"

"Elmer Fudd."

"Damn, he did didn't?" They shared a laugh. "Now that I know what Elmer Fudd knows I totally don't blame him. Seriously though what do you want to eat?"

"Goose."

"I'll be right back." Barry was gone and returned in a matter of seconds, setting a plate of goose with stuffing and greens with sauteed onions and peppers down in front of her even as she took her seat.

His plate was piled high with quiche, trout, potatoes, dressing, and rice.

They talked and ate, the conversation between them flowing and easy. Barry had plenty of questions about Central City and the festival. Iris shared some of the pictures Shawna had been sending her throughout the night. Iris watched him page through the photos green eyes widening, mouth forming an 'oh' of surprise at some of the costumes, his face alive with wonder and smiled. How much nicer it would be to show him the festival.  

"No offense, but I kinda want to leave now, go out and see what everyone else is doing."

"None taken that's kinda the point, you'd have fun, it would be fun showing it to you."

He smiled and met her eyes, holding them a moment.

"Shawna sent these?" He asked handing the phone back.

"Yeah, she helps me out."

Barry nodded.

"I need the pictures for the bookkeeper website. Some people don't think this is important."

"How can people say that? The costumes, the lights, the dancing, the singing not to mention the need to build community and expose the different industries and trades this is absolutely vital."

"Like lotion selling?" Iris asked expression coy, and Barry chuckled.

"Sure."

"You know, we really could have used you in Ithaca," Barry said voice soft, and Iris merely smiled for a reply.

They continued chatting with Barry glancing at the dance floor throughout the conversation.

"I would never have pegged you as a dancer," Iris said when he glanced at the dance floor for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Are you judging me because I'm a nerdy scientist."

"Maybe a little." She held up her forefinger and thumb to demonstrate.

"Well, I'll have you know that I won several awards for waltz, tango, latin and  modern in Ithaca."

"Really?"

"It was how we passed the time during the winter. Dances, we had enough people that knew how to play instruments and could read sheet music, we also had storytelling and comedy nights. Dancing was something I'd never been good at before, but," he shrugged. "I've felt confident since the accident and since I could cram weeks worth of practice into a few hours…"

"Seems kind of unfair.".

"Yeah absolutely. I didn't keep them. I was just glad to have learned."

She almost asked him if he ever thought about how every non-speedster felt having had to lose to him in the first place, but decided to keep it to herself. Even if he could cram week's worth of practice into a few hours he still had to practice.

They finished eating and sat for several relaxed minutes sat watching the other people on the dance floor and sharing the occasional amused or impressed glance at what they saw.

"Let's dance." Barry extended his hand across the table, eyes crinkling at the corners and Iris found herself smiling back without hesitation.

"Ok champ."

Her phone buzzed then, and Iris was tempted to ignore it until she saw it was from Shawna and tagged urgent. With a sigh Iris opened the text and swore at what she saw.

 **S.B.: 'Hope's parents just messaged me this.*sigh* Apparently, she posted it on her feed. Her parents are on their way to The Tower right now**.

It was a picture of Hope chatting with Tony Woodward obviously taken in the ballroom, tonight.

**I.W.: 'Unbelievable. I don't know how that damned girl got back in here.'**

**S.B.: 'What are you gonna do?'**

**I.W.: I'll figure out something. Just message me when they get here, thanks for the head's up.**

**S.B.: 'ofc'.**

"Gimmie a sec Barry."

"Yeah of course."

Iris considered her options a moment before forwarding Hope's picture to the bookkeeper chat and security.  She'd have security find her, remove her and have her in the lobby by the time her parents arrived.

"That problem is solved," Iris grinned at Barry. "Let's have some fun."

The first two dances were energetic jitterbug and swing type dances, fun fast numbers that left her breathless and happy as Iris let Barry and the instincts the music stirred in her body lead. Unlike a nightclub where a DJ could spin hours and hours of upbeat, energetic dance music, their live band needed a rest and the third dance was an easy slow foxtrot, boring by comparison to the other dances, but intimate.

Barry pulled her in close one arm around her waist pulling her body into alignment with his, while he took her raised hand in his. Iris swallowed at the warmth generated by his sudden closeness and the rich, warm scents of basil and orris emanating from his skin. They moved through a few easy steps before settling into a gentle sway.

Barry surprised her by frowning suddenly.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry I didn't respond to your text earlier, it was rude."

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't- I don't  want anything from you don't want to give. Obviously, we're friends, but-"

"-Stop, Barry I like you, I like you a lot even though I did think you were a complete square at the beginning of the week."

"Ugh, I'm wounded especially given what I thought of you when I first came to the tower for an interview."

"What did you think?"

"That you were beautiful of course,  amazingly, stunningly beautiful and that you've heard that more times than you probably want, but then we started to talk. You were confident, intelligent, and the way you listened," Barry shook his."But maybe you were just being a good human resources manager, but  then you said _"it's the worst right?"_ and there was nothing special about those words, but in that moment the way you leaned forward, the way your voice changed, it was so simple but so intimate like it was only the two of us right then."

The music came to a stop, but Iris, completely absorbed with Barry's words the intensity in his eyes didn't even notice.

"I think I-" He paused and swallowed that Adam's apple bobbing as the arm around her waist tightened pressing her close so she could feel his heat and strength as his voice dropped.

She thought he was going to kiss her and he did, but first the hand he was holding. He stroked his thumb across her knuckles before pressing them to his lips, the heat of his gaze locked on hers the entire time. Iris swallowed, he settled her hand on his shoulder and then reached one hand to cup her face.

"Did you feel it, Iris? A connection between us."

She nodded unable to speak and let her eyes drift shut as Barry's lips found hers. She slid her arms up around his neck as that dizzying heat washed over her, weakening her knees as his tongue, hot, velvet and slick slipped into her mouth to stroke hers as she moaned low in her throat.

It would have been so easy to get lost in that kiss, to lose herself in him, in the heat coursing through her body everywhere his body touched hers, it would be so easy. But she wasn't a girl at a high school dance; she played a deeper game with far higher stakes.

Iris broke the kiss pulling her lips from his and took his Barry's face between her hands. He tried to lean in, but she pulled back taking a breath as her tongue snaked out across her lower lip.

"Barry," she said holding his eyes. "I accept your apology, but never, ever do that to me again, talk to me always."

He nodded.

"Promise me."

"I swear."

And then he leaned down and kissed her again this time lifting her off her feet and now she did let herself get lost. The music, and party, the people all disappeared leaving only the press of his heat and strength against her, his lips hot and insistent on hers as a frisson of heat shimmered across her skin.

It wasn't until another couple jostled them that Iris found herself on her feet staring up into green eyes, heavy-lidded and dark with desire and then at Barry's lips swollen from kissing and reddened with her lipstick.

"Let's get out of here," Iris whispered those breathless words.

"Yeah," he said nodding voice hoarse.

Her phone buzzed, and she realized no one had followed up with her about Hope.

"Hang on." Iris opened the message from Linda.

**L.P.: 'Good news we found Hope. Bad news she's with Eobard.'**

"Well damn," she muttered.

"What is it?"

"Gimmie sec Barry," Iris said stepping out of his arms so she could focus.

**L.P.: 'We could have security remove her as a threat???'**

Iris considered the possibility for a moment before shaking her head. Maybe if there hadn't been an assassination attempt on Eobard just yesterday, she could have had security take her straight to her parents and pretend there was some kind of mix-up, but under the present circumstances, it would be a thing.

**I.W.: 'No, we can't do that. We can't really do anything about it now. If Eobard wants her, he wants her. Where is he btw?'**

**L.P.: 'Game room.'**

She messaged the chat telling them to let it go and then sent another text to Shawna asking if Hope's parents had arrived.

**S.B.:'They're maybe five minutes away.'**

**I.W.: 'Thanks, Shawna.'**

**S.B.: 'I'm sorry I got you involved.'**

**I.W.: 'You did right I just can't fix everything.'**

She looked at Barry.

"Listen-

"-How big is the fire?"

"Not sure. It shouldn't take long."

"I can help," he offered.

She smiled. "Thanks, Barry, but that's alright." He was not getting involved in this seedy part of her life.

"Just hang out here for a moment. I have one last work thing to do."

Then on impulse, she kissed him again, running a hand through his hair and mussing it, so he was standing breathless, licking his lips and mouth smeared with her lipstick as she walked away.

Iris made her way from the ballroom and toward the staircase near the rear of the penthouse, music, and lights of the ballroom fading. It was longer going up the rear staircase, but she didn't want people to see her and wonder what she was doing. She passed two men making out in the hallway before finding the game room. Poked her head in the game room where Eobard liked to vape, have a drink or play pool.

She found Eobard and Hope there. The younger woman was leaning over the pool table, Eobard's arms around her as he helped her adjust her pool shot. Neither saw and Iris made her way down the hall with a sigh trying to figure out exactly what to say to Hope's parents.

She found herself hesitating in the elevator lobby. While she was treated with respect in Central City people saw the seediness of it. Dr. Wells had been the one to suggest that she cast herself as the long-suffering victim of Eobard Thawne with the puppet shows and plays. It had worked, but no parent worth their salt would be ok with their 18 teen-year-old daughter partying with the meta-humans of Central City.

Iris sent a text for a security guard to join her and waited rehearsing what she would say to Hope's parents. After a few minutes John, the guard who'd delayed Barry for her, showed up.

"So what are we doing now Ms. West?" She explained the situation and John nodded adopting an appropriately solemn expression.

"I got your back Ms. West."

She didn't think the McFarlands would be dangerous, but frankly she didn't want to confront them by herself. If it were Nessa...well, she wouldn't handle it very well at all.

John pushed the call button for the elevator, and they rode down to the fifth-floor lobby to find an anxious-looking black couple waiting for them. She would have known them for Hope's parents on sight. Hope's dark-skin and petite, delicate build have obviously come from her mother, while her father had bestowed her those wide dark eyes. Upon seeing her they smiled for a handful of seconds expecting their daughter to appear, but those smiles faded when the pair realized it was only Iris and security guard.

"Ms. West, I'm Jason McFarland, and this is my wife, Tondra."

Iris shook their hands.

"We're sorry to pull you away from your party."

"You're looking for your daughter, so I understand."

"This is Hope." Mrs. McFarland held up her phone showing a picture of a girl in bright blue linen blouse and what looked like a pair of pre-accelerator jeans. "She posted just a little while ago after you said she had left."

Iris looked at the picture of Hope and Tony Woodward with a sigh.

"She's obsessed with this place," Mr. McFarland said with a frown.

"When Hope was in line to get in earlier I saw her and made her leave. Even though she is an adult I didn't think she belonged here, somehow she snuck back in."

"So is she coming down?" Tondra looked over her shoulder.

"You're daughter wants to stay here. I can't force her to leave."

"Well yes, but you make things happen for humans. Our daughter doesn't belong here."

Iris snorted and tried not to be offended.

"I'm sorry Ms. West my husband didn't mean it like that we know your," Mrs. McFarland paused and swallowed a moment. "We know you're situation. It's just not a good place for a young girl. She admires you; she'll listen to you."

"Clearly not."

"But Ms. West if you-"

"-She's with Mr. Thawne now." Iris crossed her arms as she said it. "There's nothing I can do about it now."

The couple stared at her faces identical in shock.

Iris motioned to one of the 5th-floor security guards.

"Get Mr. and Mrs. McFarland some refreshments, a rickshaw on the tower account when they leave."

"Of course Ms. west."

Iris turned to go, but Mr. McFarland unsatisfied with this response grabbed her arm.

"Wait!"

Before she could react, John was between her and the other man, hand on his club.

The couple took a step backward, a look of surprised betrayal clear in their faces. Humans expected her to do things for them. Their daughter had come to the tower they wanted her out, surely Ms. West would get her out. They certainly didn't expect her to sick armed guards on them.

"I'm not in any trouble John."

"Do not touch Ms. West again."

Mr. McFarland released his grip and took a step backward apologizing. Tondra stood hands clenched at her sides, wearing a face Iris knew all too well. She could almost feel the other woman pulling down her fear and anger for her child, stuffing it away somewhere so she could manage another moment, deal with another situation the best way possible.

"Ms. West may I please speak with you, please woman to woman, mother to mother."

Iris pursed her lips annoyed with the manipulation, but unable to say no.

"Give us a few minutes John."

"Sure thing Ms. West."

John guided a reluctant Mr. McFarland to the other end of the lobby.

"That's a beautiful dress, reminds me of Sug in The Color Purple."

"Thank you, that's a great movie."

"You're welcome. I wanna tell you about my daughter."

"Of course."

"Hope was 13 at the time of the accident, very dangerous age for a girl. Men were already starting to look at her, had already started looking."

Iris felt her stomach twist. She was not going to like this story.

"We were always careful to protect her, pretty but dark-skinned, so men looked at her certain ways, treated her certain ways. It was difficult to keep an eye on her in the day-to-day before the accident and harder afterward. We had to leave our home to find food, good water. Our living situations weren't always ideal, but we stayed together. When Hope was about fourteen, we met a farmer who said he needed help, people who would be reliable, people with families. We trusted this man; he had a wife and kids of his own. He invited us to live at the farmhouse, help with the chores we'd get food, resources, reliable shelter." Mrs. McFarland shook her head. "He seemed decent trustworthy."

"But he wasn't."

"No we were there for a year, he molested our daughter for six months, it started the winter we were there, and I  didn't see it. When I asked her about it, she said he told her we would have to leave, that we would starve, which I guess that might have been true, but…"

"What happened?"

"His wife," Mrs. McFarland smiled now. "She was truly decent. We put him out to starve and are still there right now, still working the farm, but Hope has been off ever since, she never got back to being herself, she's fragile."

"Yeah," Iris murmured sick at her stomach at the idea of Eobard and eventually Hunter. "Mrs. McFarland-"

"Call me Tondra."

"Tondra," she said voice hoarse. "I wish I could promise you that I could send your daughter home, but I can only do so much."

"I know, but I know you're a good person Iris West, I've heard the stories about you. I know how you help people, make things easier for people. I know you'll do your best for Hope and everyone." The older woman patted her cheek and gave her arm a gentle squeeze before turning away, and Iris found herself suddenly missing her mother.

"Come on Jason," Tondra said voice tired.

With the McFarlands gone Iris pushed the call button for the elevator. _Hope McFarland was not her responsibility; Hope was a grown woman, she'd sent her away, she wanted to be here…there was nothing else she could and yet-_

The elevator pinged jolting her out of her thoughts. The elevator operator scanned their thumbprints and let them board before pushing the button for the tenth floor.

"You ok Ms. West?"

"I'm fine John." She lied. Hope was an abused, unstable young woman and now she was going to be exploited by Eobard, and after Eobard would be Hunter. She shuddered stomach sour; it wasn't right. A tingling started in the back of her head just above her right shoulder.

The elevator pinged to a stop, and the doors slid open. She followed John back to the party rolling her shoulders in an attempt to dispel the tension gathering there.

**I.W.: 'Almost done Bear. It'll be just a few minutes. :D**

**B.A.: 'I'll be here.' :)**

Trembling, she grabbed a glass of wine from a waiter and made her way to the balcony. She needed a few moments to think, to get herself together.

The balcony door opened with a whoosh and she stepped into the warm night air. Light and music flooded the balcony for a moment, and then she shut it all out, closing first the curtains and then the balcony door. Iris ignored the balcony chairs, choosing instead to stand at the railing looking out at night, at a sky lit with stars and littered with fluffy white clouds. She took a sip of her wine.

They'd been having such a good night, she and Barry, dancing, laughing, enjoying the food and jokes and now she was worried about some girl, some foolish girl being hurt by Eobard.

She took another sip of her wine, holding it in her mouth for a handful of seconds. Cherry, heavy and pungent, was her favorite of the modern vintages. She just wanted to rejoin Barry, pick-up where she'd left off with him. There was nothing she could do about Hope tonight, the girl wasn't in any real danger, not yet. Eobard wouldn't hurt her, that wasn't his thing.

He might not even sleep with her. She'd been living in the Tower, here in the penthouse for months before she'd slept with Eobard. She'd been happy to do so in the beginning.

Grinding her teeth, Iris pulled her cell phone from her purse and called Shawna. The other woman answered on the second ring.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"How did it go with the McFarlands?"

"Better than I expected. They were upset, but there wasn't any yelling or anything or swearing."

"Oh good."

"Although that might have been better. Cause I could be angry with them."

"Oh."

"Instead her mom told me about her life, what kind of person she was. About her having been sexually assaulted when she was a kid."

"Jesus!" Shawna swore. "What the hell would she want in the tower then?"

"I have an idea," Iris said voice soft.

"Really?"

"Yeah, not that it matters. It's not like Eobard will give her what she really wants anyway."

"Right what are you gonna do about it?"

"Can I do anything? If she hadn't attracted Eobard's attention sure, but now I just have to watch it happen."

"Iris listen to me as shitty as all of this is you can't help everyone. You sent her away, and she snuck back in. You don't owe Hope or her family anything."

"Maybe, but-"

"-No buts, you help a lot of humans in this city, you do a lot to make people's lives better. No matter how shitty it is you can't help everyone, especially if they don't want to be helped."

"I guess."

"But you know what, because you're a good person you're going to help that girl as much as you can and since you don't owe her anything and she is a grown woman making her own choices whatever can do for her will be plenty."

"You really think so?" Iris asked feeling a bit better.

"You know I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it." The other woman said matter-of-factly.

Now she smiled, "Thank you, Shawna."

"You're welcome."

"I feel a lot better."

"Good my work is done."

Iris could practically see the smile on the other woman's face.

"I have to go, but send me a picture of that gorgeous smile of yours."

"As you wish darling."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Iris ended the call.

A moment later the requested picture of Shawna, a sparkling smile on her face, hair a dark halo, came. She studied it with a smile for a moment, Shawna was so pretty, long and lean like Barry. A threesome with the two of them would probably be hot. Iris chuckled to herself. It was time for Barry to join her. She could deal with him now.

The balcony door whooshed open just then. Iris looked over her shoulder and swallowed at the sight of Hunter sliding the balcony door shut with a click.

Remaining calm she Iris tapped a simple message:

 **I.W.: 'SOS, balcony**.' She sent that text to the bookkeeper chat and slipped her phone into her clutch.

"Enjoying the party, Hunter." She said those words and looked over her shoulder. When he didn't say anything, Iris met his eyes and shivered. They were steely with hate.

"Yeah."

He stood between her and the door arms crossed legs wide.

"You think you clever."

Her brows knitted together, he was drunk on that damned vape.

"You spread your legs, flash a smile, pop out a kid, and suddenly it makes you special. You're not."

"You’re right; I'm not special." Iris decided to go along with him. She'd been winning this little game they'd been playing, the two of them maneuvering for Eobard's favor and power. He needed a win, to be right, feel superior. He frowned he hadn't expected her to agree with him.

"I'm no scientist rebuilding our lives. I just throw parties, and pick-out pretty dresses."

He nodded and took a step closer, and Iris felt a prickle of fear moving all along her skin before settling with sickening twist in her stomach. Her instincts screamed for her to run, but there was no outrunning Hunter. Trying to run would only serve as a goad to him. It was what he was looking for like all predators Hunter Zolomon thrived on fear.

"Eobard doesn't see through you, but I do."

She needed to shift his focus.

"You see through all of us, that's your brilliance."

"Don't try it." He closed the distance between them arms coming down on either side of her enveloping her in a cloud of vape and the chicory breath freshener he liked to chew."I'm immune to your false flattery slut."

 _Slut!_ Her mind latched onto the word knowing what he meant by it. Iris forced herself to remain calm; she couldn't give into the fear growing inside her.

"But it's true Hunter you've always seen through me. I've never been able to put one over on you. You're the one who brought me back here after all."

His smile broadened.

"Yeah."

"Yeah," she nodded. "You know I have to work Hunter; Barry will be wondering what I'm doing."

"Do you like him so much?" Hunter pressed his body against her's, and Iris shuddered at the feeling of his hard-on against her thigh.

"You're scared."

"I'm not. Eobard's told you not to touch me."

"He's busy, distracted with another one of you sluts." He looked her up and down. "You can't get away from me."

Hunter's words called attention to the helpless frustration of her situation and stirred anger. She glared up at him there was no longer any point in playing it cool. Keeping her eyes locked on his iris stamped down hard on his foot, shoving at the same time. She managed to catch him off guard with the stamp, but he caught her shove pressing her back against the railing.

He grinned down at her now that sadistic, terrible grin, white teeth gleaming and knife-like, wolfish in the moonlight, eyes brightened with sick, devilish excitement.  

"That's what I like about you Iris, so full of anger, energy, and resistance." His hand came up to rest on her throat, and her heart started to pound, fear transforming into panic and terror.  

"Ahh, you still remember. You can try to hide it, but I can feel your pulse hammering against my hand."

"Let me go, Hunter."

"Maybe," he said it softly, tenderly almost lover-like. "Tell me how scared you are, beg me and I might."

"I'll never beg you for anything you piece of shit!"

"Good."

His hand tightened around throat, pressing against her airway. Iris gasped for breath; she knew Hunter wouldn't kill her, anything he did to her she would recover from, _physically._

"Let- go."  

"No Iris, you are magnificent, but Eobard gives you too much free reign, he just doesn't realize it. He has a blind spot for you."

His hand pressed down harder, and Iris stopped caring what he said, how much he was hurting her. She just needed to breathe.

The balcony door whooshed open, the pressure on her windpipe ease and  Iris renewed her struggles.

"Let me go! Help!" The words came out shrill and high adrenaline granting them a loud quaver.

What happened next happened too fast for her to see, there was a streak of golden yellow-lightning, and then Hunter was up against the wall with Barry 's forearm at his throat, the younger man's eyes glowing red.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Barry snarled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *phew* longest chapter yet on this fic, hope you guys enjoyed it. Anybody catch the Hannibal reference? Let me know in the comments. 
> 
> trigger warning- attempted sexual assault


	13. Maximum Leaverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris recalls some of her challenges in Central City and looks to Barry for a distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, guess whose back??? *waves to the crowd of like the only two remaining readers* Sorry for the long unplanned hiatus. I got really, super insecure about this chapter for some reason as well as obsessed with it being perfect, that combined with me being annoyed with the show and kinda obsessed with Star Trek and well I just decided to take a break.
> 
> I'm back in the mood to work on my dark fics though suddenly. *woohoo* 
> 
>  
> 
> As always please scroll to the end for potential trigger warnings.

**Previously in After the Accelerator:**

_The balcony door whooshed open, the pressure on her windpipe ease and  Iris renewed her struggles._

_"Let me go! Help!" The words came out shrill and high adrenaline granting them a loud quaver._

_What happened next happened too fast for her to see, there was a streak of golden yellow-lightning, and then Hunter was up against the wall with Barry 's forearm at his throat, the younger man's eyes glowing red._

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Barry snarled._

* * *

 

"Iris," He didn't look at her as he spoke and Iris could see that he was vibrating with rage voice echoing and distorted "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"She's fine." Hunter echoed.

"Shut-up." Barry's grip on Hunter's lapel's shifted, and he slammed the other speedster against the wall.

"Fuck you man!"

Hunter headbutted the shorter man, and then the two were moving too fast for her to see grappling in nearly identical streaks of golden lightning. She watched them trying to think what she could do while staying out of their way when they stopped suddenly Hunter on top of Barry blonde hair disheveled, blood at the corner of his mouth.

"The bitch said she's fine."

She saw Barry snarl for his response and then the two were grappling again black-clad blurs lit by streamers of gold. Then a smaller blur, trailed by blue lighting streaked onto the balcony coming between the two.

The blur dissolved itself into Eliza Harmony as she forced the two men apart. Both men breathing hard disheveled each trying to get to the other, but Liza kept between them hands up. Hunter looked like he had the worst of it. In addition to the cut on his lip there was a bruise around his eye already darkening and while Barry remained unmarked, save swollen bloodied knuckles.

"What the hell Hunter?" There was a bit of speedster vibrata in her voice as she spoke. "You're fighting with him over Iris, get a fucking grip.  Mr. Thawne told you to leave her alone."

That seemed to deflate the other man.

"Fine," Hunter took a step still glaring and shot a hate filled glance at her. Too keyed up to feign her usual indifference Iris took an involuntary step backward, Hunter grinned at this wolfish and terrible.

"Fuck you, you piece of shit." Iris strode of the balcony and got just a few feet down the hall before her knees buckled. She leaned against the wall pushing herself forward suddenly desperate to get out of the penthouse.

"Are you ok?" Barry seemed to come from nowhere, voice warm with concern.

"I need to get out of here." Iris pushed away from the wall and stumbled. Barry caught her, one strong arm coming around her waist catching her in a sure grip as he draped her arm across his shoulders.

"I got you, and I'll get you out of here." His voice was soft but clear, and in an eyeblink, they were standing in front of her apartment.

"No, not here." She said suddenly having to gasp for breath. Iris could feel it now, bitter, familiar, overwhelming a rising tide of panic, sharp-edged threatening to pull her under.  Thawne tower was a trap, its walls too close.

"I need to get out of this building."

"Okay."

The world passed her in a blur lit by red-gold lightning they stopped a moment outside of Thawne tower and then they were moving again, hundreds of yards covered in a handful of seconds until they were standing down by the riverfront not too far from the ruins of STARLabs.

The tide receded.

Iris drew in a full breath.

"This is ok."

She nodded.

Barry settled her on a blanket in the grass, dug out a shallow fire pit, gathered driftwood and got a fire going creating an island of light in an otherwise dark night.

A breeze blew in off the river, and Iris shivered hugging herself as gooseflesh rose on her bare limbs.

"Here," Barry draped his jacket over her shoulders and sat down beside her.

"Thank you." She said looking up from the flames, she smiled small and tight.

"Are you ok?"

She pressed a finger to his lips and leaned against him resting her head on his shoulder. After a moment his arm settled around her, and her trembling stopped.

"Tell me about Ithaca Barry."

"What?"

"Ithaca, the city you're from."

"That's what you want to talk about?"

She'd have to deal with Hunter sooner or later, but she couldn't think about that now. Iris looked up at him.

"Please, Barry. What's like? Is it pretty? Is it near water? What were the summers like when you were a little boy?"

"Um well, it's small, nothing like Central City. Just large enough to warrant a couple skyscrapers downtown. I think I told you I planned to apply for the CCPD once I had a little experience."

"I remember, but what about when you were a kid? What did you do there?"

"Right um."

He spoke falteringly at first, but Iris focused on his words, asking questions, until he was speaking freely sharing happy memories from his childhood about his best friend, about summers spent riding bikes and fishing with his dad, looking for fireflies or experimenting with his chemistry set when it was too cold and rainy to go outside.

Iris drew a story of childhood innocence out of him until she felt safe, relaxed, his tone warm and wistful as he pressed to his side, the post-accelerator world a faint vision on an impossible horizon.

"Sounds like Nathan is a good friend."

"He was."

"You lost him?"

"Shortly after the accident, distemper, he drank bad water."

"I'm sorry."

"It's been a few years now, and that's the world we live in now right, people die all the time."

"Yeah," she said tone soft. "Why did you leave?"

He looked down at her now, frown creasing handsome face.

"I didn't leave. I was forced out."

"Oh."

"A group of criminals, rogues, bandits, whatever they took overran me out."

"Damn."

"I had some idea about finding resources, allies, going back."

Iris nodded.

"Why haven't you told Eobard this?"

Barry was silent.

"I think he would offer to help and I'm not sure what his help would mean."

"You're cautious, that's good, but why  tell me?"

Barry flushed and stuttered.

"I'm not sure."

Iris felt the beginnings of a smile.

"Your secret is safe with me."

Silence settled over them, and Iris studied the world outside their pool of light. The barely detectable ripple of the river black with night, the sky a black canvas littered with points of winking silvery light. She remembered once in a Shakespearean play someone had described the night sky as black-brown and gentle it had seemed so strange to her because the night sky was so clearly blue.

But not in a world free from light pollution, in a pre-industrial world without street lights on every corner and a hundred lights in every building even with their gleaming solar lights when night fell Central City was dark.

She remembered that first impossible night, the darkness closing in like a suffocating hand. In that world, your eyes found no lurking shadows, no mysterious shapes they told you nothing at all, but outside their little pool of glowing orange firelight the world, the river, the sky, the night they were black-brown, though not gentle.

Iris swallowed hand going to her throat.

"What are you going to do about Hunter?"

"What do you mean?" She smoothed her hands over the sequins of her skirt refusing to meet his eyes.

"If you need me to I can tell Mr. Thawne that he was obviously trying to hurt you."

"Do you want to go to a movie?"

"A movie."

"Yeah, we can go to a movie." She looked at him now forcing a smile, hoping he would take the hint.

"Look, Iris, I know you might be scared or something, but listen I'll tell Mr. Thawne what I walked in on and-"

"-Stop, Barry, stop please." Iris cut him off she couldn't have Barry or Hunter ruining the position she had worked so hard to cultivate over the past three years.

_Iris ran her hands through her hair, getting it back off her face. She scanned Eobard's room looking for a comb or, and before catching sight of her reflection in the mirror, gray sweatpants, and sweatshirt, her dark hair didn't look wild at least. Iris shrugged. An hour ago she'd tried to throw herself off Thawne Tower, and Wally was locked up in Thawne tower probably waiting to be executed or worse. Now she was cuffed and chained to Eobard's bed. She supposed that made a little sense, he wasn't going to let her kill herself not yet. Her life couldn't get any worse, and she was surprisingly calm._

_There were moments when life pushed you to your limit and then pushed you past that. It had happened she'd thought a few times in the pre-accelerator days. Once in high school, she'd snuck out with a friend to go to a party only it turned out not to be the kind of party with fun dancing and games. She'd thought for sure they were about to get raped by like five boys and it had made her surprisingly calm and clear headed because if she was about to get raped well, there was nothing wrong she could do. It was like the worse thing that could happen in life, so anything she could do had to improve the situation._

_She'd told them they could rape her if they wanted, but they'd be lucky to end up jail. They'd scoffed, but then she'd showed them a picture of Joe, her father, CCPD detective on her phone. She'd been utterly calm the entire time._

_After a brief hushed conference, the boys had decided to let her go because the police could shot anybody and get away with it, but that her friend had to stay. After they gave her back her purse, she'd maced them and taken her terrified friend away too._

_The worst moment of your life could also be your moment of maximum clarity and maximum leverage._

_Iris heard Eobard's tread in the hall. Still calm she sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, facing the door squarely. He would not expect that, he'd expect her crying, desperate, afraid, broken like she had been two years ago._

_He opened the door and stopped short upon seeing her._

_"You're up-"_

_"You're not executing my brother-"_

_He started to speak, and she held up a hand forestalling him._

_"You're not killing Wally, I'm not fucking anymore of your friends, Hunter Zolomon is going to leave me the fuck alone, and I'll be in charge of the bookkeepers from now on."_

_"And why would I agree to this?" Eobard said demeanor shifting. "All that other stuff is fine, but Wally attacked me in public."_

_"Families fight, and we are family now, aren't we? I am pregnant." She paused, and when he didn't object to the family comment, she pressed on. "We're valuable to you, that's why you didn't let Wally stay dead two years ago."  She said it and stared him down daring him to deny it. "Tell the public it was a training exercise, a successful one."_

_He didn't say anything, and Iris pressed on._

_"You execute Wally, and in seven months you're going to have to execute me. You can do that, but you'll spend every moment of the next seven months force feeding me, wondering if I'll figure out a way to harm myself while this baby still needs me, and then you'll have to find someone to take care of it and love it, and you'll need to find someone healthy and clean to nurse it."_

_"You were trying to abort it."_

_"Yeah that's true," Iris shrugged. "But that's because my situation had become intolerable-"_

_"-Intolerable-"_

_"-Aren't we past playing games by now? Would you really be happy if our roles were reversed?"_

_When he didn't say anything, she continued._

_"You give me what I want I'll be the loving mother, play the beautiful wifey and work my ass off in that bookkeeping office to make your city great and we both know I can do it." She walked toward him now, the cord on her wrist pulled taught, and she stopped inches from him hands on her hips. "Give me what I want Eobard it's smart, it's logical, and  I'm a woman of my word. And more importantly its what both of us want."_

_"What we both want?"_

_"Yes, Eobard, Wally and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't what you wanted."_

_"FIne, but you know what it means to be in charge of the bookkeeping office." His hands settled on her hips, and her body trembled with exhaustion._

_"I know exactly what it means- "_

_"-Felicity, Gwen, Daren nothing changes with them." The hands on her hips pulled her in close and Iris could feel the heat emanating from him._

_"I understand what it means to be in charge of the bookkeeping office Eobard."_

_"Alright then, it's all yours, wifey." He said the last with a smirk before leaning down to kiss her. He was giving her something, so of course, he wanted something._

_"I'm tired Eobard."_

_"Not that tired," he said walking her backward toward the bed. Iris told herself to relax it was going to happen regardless of what she thought about it so she might as well enjoy it._

Dr. Wells had been right about Eobard inevitably going back on their agreement. Sleeping with Barry was one thing, it was something she actually wanted, now. But it wouldn't stop with Barry.

Metahumans were important, they were the key to Eobard's power. As much success as she'd had in alienating Hunter from Eobard over the past three years she had no idea what would happen if Eobard were actually called to enforce that part of their agreement. If he didn't, and Hunter knew about it-

Iris shivered. They would all be rid of Hunter soon enough as long as she stuck to her plan nothing could interfere with that.

"Listen, Iris-"

"-No Barry. I need you to listen. Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," he said it almost without thinking and Iris couldn't help, but smile.

"Good, then I want you to listen to me. We're not going to do anything about Hunter."

"-But Iris, you can't, ok. It's not right," Barry got to his feet started pacing. "I know you're scared of him, and people like to brush traumatic stuff aside at first, but you can't let him get away with it. I can't just go back and work with him like nothing happened. What if he tries again and I'm not around?"

She didn't bother to fight the smile spreading across her face.

"Barry come here."

He studied her a moment before lowering his long frame down beside her.

"You have no idea what your concern means to me, but there is so much in Central City that you don't know about, so much of my life and history that I can't explain in even an hour or two of conversation. So much that would be difficult and painful to explain so please just trust me that ignoring this is the right thing to do, for now, please. Hunter will get his."

Barry's eyes held hers, a thoughtful frown on his face as he studied her intently for a moment the distant sounds of the river's flow and the party in Central City the only things to be heard.

"Alright," he said, at last, looking away with a shake of his dark head. "I'll do what you want."

Worry oozed out of her and Iris relaxed.

"Thank you, Barry."

He snorted, and they both stared into the fire watching the driftwood split, crack and break as it was consumed by orange flame and little orange sparks of ash floated off into the night.

"Can we really go see a movie?"

"Yeah."

"How?" He finally looked at her and Iris couldn't help but smile.

"Homer's films, electricity is allotted to run small screen communal movies on Fridays and big screen communal movies on 1st Fridays."

"Big screen?"

"Ten by twelve feet with surround sound and everything."

Barry started to grin. "You're damned straight I want to go to a movie."

* * *

 

This wasn't supposed to happen. Iris pulled off her bob wig and set it on the bathroom counter. It was making her hot, making her head hurt.

She was supposed to be thinking of her mother, of Friday nights on the couch watching movies and eating fresh popped popcorn or pizza and drinking pop while she curled against her mother's side.

_"Just us girls."_

Even at sixteen, she'd been just square enough that sitting down with her mother to watch a classic movie like The Titanic, Dirty Dancing, Romeo and Juliet, all those favorites her mother had shared with her had been enough to lift her spirits. Cuddling on the couch with her mom's reassuring touch could get her mind off homework woes and boy troubles or anything her teenaged mind was hung-up on.

It should have been enough to think about her mother and sandalwood incense, the afternoon breeze stirring the curtains on a peaceful Saturday, it all should have been enough to give her a few hours peace.

But she was no longer a girl enjoying romances and forbidden love.

She was a woman who had suffered under the pressure of a world bent to control, a reality that once seen could no longer be unseen.

She could no longer see herself as Baby Housman in a young girl's coming of age story a smart, plucky girl with a bright future ahead of her. Instead, she was Penny, the dancer bitter, jaded and used, and desperate not even important enough to have a last name, little more than a slave working at Kellerman's with a long hard life poverty and misery ahead of her.

_Penny, sweating and pale and in pain from a back alley abortion that nearly killed her had been too much._

The bitter taste of desperation and fear, the certain knowledge that a child was a trap and no risk was too great to get out of that trap had been too much. She'd gotten up and left, hurried to the bathroom to try and calm herself, but in spite of her words to Barry she couldn't put Hunter or for that matter Eobard out of her mind.

"Hunter Zolomon is more of a danger to you than you realize."

Had Sallie's words referred to tonight?

Her hands started to shake, and Iris started to feel it that sudden rising tide of panic.

She clenched her hands into fist trying to tamp down on it, to keep the terror and anxiety rising in her from swelling until they burst scattering her into a million pieces of brittle glass each so fragile and so easily ground under the heel of a booted foot.

There was a knock on the door just then, and she froze.

"Iris?" Barry's voice came through the wooden door.

"Are you ok? You've been in there for a while."

She didn't say anything, afraid that the fear and panic would come through in her voice. She couldn't talk to him about these things, and he'd ask.

In that warm, tender voice so full of ardent hope he'd ask. And she'd tell him because that voice so warm and encouraging would make her feel hopeful, but he would stop looking at her like that-

-If he knew just how desperate and determined she'd been to get rid of her child or what it really meant to be a favorite of Eobard Thawne.

"Iris?"

"Just a second," she squeaked out remembering something else from Dirty Dancing, not the film, but the commentary given not by the girl who'd written the screenplay, but by the woman twenty years older considering the story with the vision of maturity.

"...that feeling when you've discovered what your body can do things you'd never imagined. When you've fully inhabited your body when your mind has turned off…"

Baby Housman did it first by dancing, but later…

She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, the wooden frame scratched, nicked, dull the glass chipped around the edges. She eyed her wig a moment before deciding against it choosing instead to loosen her hair from the French braid she confined it to and shook it out until it fell soft and loose about her shoulders and down her back.

It wasn't perfect, but she looked pretty.

She pulled the bathroom door open.

"Are you ok?" He said studying her, eyes going to her hair and then her wig on the bathroom counter.

"Yeah," she forced a smile.

"The movie-"

"It's not as good as I remember," she said stepping into his space and sliding an arm up around his neck.

Barry frowned undoubtedly confused by the shift in her mood.

"Iris if you-"

"Shhh." She pressed a fingertip to his lips. "I remember." Iris bit down on her lower lip and met his eyes warm green eyes. "Just yesterday afternoon when we stood beneath the singing trees, your hand buzzing between my thighs and you wondering what I taste like." The memory made her shiver with pleasure.

He swallowed Adam's apple bobbing, eyes going dark with lust.

"Don't you remember Barry?"

He nodded, mute and she smiled pulling his lips down to hers, pressing their two bodies together. She knew how to be in her body, how to forget her mind and every runaway thought.

His heat and strength could ignite her, a ripple of thrills unfurling under the skin as his hands slid down along her bare back. Barry pressed her close, walking her backward until her ass pressed against the bathroom, counter.

"Iris," Barry surprised her then, tearing his lips from her, the gentleman resurfacing one last time. "Wait, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Barry, I just please take me back to your place." Iris widened her eyes, moistened her lips and said the one thing no man would ever resist. "I need you."

* * *

 

As soon as his apartment door shut she shed her dress in a  rustle of fabric and stood hands behind as Barry zipped around his apartment hiding whatever it was, he thought she wouldn't want to see.

It was only a matter of seconds, and then he was standing mute arrested, by her brazenness, the feeling of his heavy-lidded, lust filled eyes on her enough to stir the grip of desire low in her belly.

Any lingering doubts Barry had disappeared as he took her in naked but for a pair of red lace panties, garter belt, and stockings while dripping in pearls. His dick stirred aroused at the promise of her nearly naked state and the smirk on her face.

"Cat got your tongue, Barry?" Iris raised her arms higher, arching her back further pushing her breast further forward.

"God, you're beautiful."

He crossed the room in three long easy steps and drew her in close. Barry found her lips with his, they were so plush and soft and warm. He lingered there a moment sucking her lower lip, stroking with his tongue, nibbling it with his teeth, before finally slipping his tongue into her mouth to stroke hers.

Iris moaned into his mouth, giving herself over to the heat he was stirring in her,  one of his hands moved up from her waist to cup and knead her breast. Her body arched into his touch, as she slid her fingers up over his shoulders and threaded her fingers his hair savoring the silky softness of it.

Barry groaned against her lips, and the feel of his length growing hard against her stomach sent a corresponding, anticipatory pulse of pleasure through her pussy.

"You have too many clothes on," she said pulling her lips from his. "I want to feel your skin hot and flushed under my fingertips."

This was how you did it, nothing held back. Every urge, every demand, met, explored and satisfied and Barry was all too willing. In a handful of second Barry was stripped to skin-baring his long, lean, perfect body to her heated gaze.

She swept her eyes over taut, muscles and sun-warmed skin to stop on his uncircumcised dick standing in full salute against a matt of dark hair the curiosity she'd felt about his foreskin returning tenfold.

"I've never been with an uncircumcised guy before."

"Does it bother you?"

She shrugged.

"No makes me curious," she said reaching down to run gentle fingers along his length.

The foreskin was soft, supple despite the firmness of what it encased and Iris found herself what it would be like the contrast of his hot hard dick and the added stimulation of that soft, supple skin working her with each stroke.

She circled the head of his cock with her thumb, gathering moisture and then feeling mischievous she raised her thumb to her lips pausing to meet Barry's eyes before sucking the bead of precum from her thumb tip.

Barry's eyes darkened, and he bit down on his lower lip for his response and then she was off her feet and deposited in the middle of his bed seconds after completing the gesture.

"You know what minx-"

"Minx." Iris laughed aloud and then Barry pushed her down on the bed covering her body with his as their lips met. He hooked one of her legs up around his waist dick stroking against her lace panties.

His mouth didn't stay with hers for long, his lips supple and moist, worked their way down along her throat taking a moment to pause and mark her while his hands busied themselves with her breast. Kneading the soft flesh, stroking the tender nipples until they stiffened at his touch.

Seconds later Barry replaced his hands on her breast with the moist heat of his mouth eliciting a moan from her.

"Good, Barry."

She felt the rumble of a chuckled against her skin as he tended one breast with his mouth and slid a hand down between her legs.

Teasing her nipples with teeth and tongue until she was moaning with the sweetness of it and clutching his silk-soft hair, each jolt of pleasure in her breast sending a corresponding current through her clit while she ground against the flat of his palm.

When Barry finally parted her lower lips, he paused a moment taking in the sight of her glistening with readiness and felt himself get harder still, eyes going to the pink heart of her pussy already open. He stroked himself taking the edge off as he took a moment to drink in the hot musky scent of her arousal. Then he flattened his tongue and began stroking the length of her slit in long, slow swipes, pausing at the first to savor her reaction.

That breathy sigh of pleasure, her hips arching upward to meet his mouth and another gush of all the sweetness between her thighs.

"I love it," he murmured those words into her pussy. Barry put his tongue to work on that tender swollen flesh, teasing the u-spot he'd discovered yesterday, stroking the precious little nub of her clit, and teasing the rim of her entry. Iris lay thighs spread for him open, wet and ready, moaning and panting one hand tangled in his hair the other grasping the wrist of the arm he'd thrown across her waist to keep her from moving too much.

"Oh, God, Barry don't-" she let out a keening moan that made Barry chuckle with self-satisfaction and slipped two fingers in crooking them to find that rough little patch that was her g-spot.

He didn't understand everything that had happened with Iris tonight, but he understood how much he could please her, how much it could mean in a world like theirs.

She gasped and pressed into his hand, body flexing around his fingers, and Barry knew he had struck gold.

Working the swollen nub of her clit and with his tongue and her g-spot at the same time, Iris quickly came undone, her thighs coming up around his head, as she ground against his face. For one exquisite moment, she smothered him in her sweet, wet cunt, almost sitting upright body tensed with the pleasure he'd given her.

Then she fell back onto his bed limp with satisfaction.

"My purse, I have condoms," she murmured.

"Right," Barry zipped out and zipped condom in place before she registered he was gone.

She was so wet and roused that he slid in easy, first few strokes long and slow, all the way in all the way out teasing her with the pleasure of his thick, length. She lay sighing with pleasure underneath him his green eyes holding hers, a faint smile on his face. Then his dick found that sweet spot and Iris moaned long and low, arching her back up to meet him and pull him in deeper, eyes fluttering shut.

"Right there, Barry."

Her legs came up around his waist, and he began to stroke faster. She met him arch for thrust pushing toward pleasure as a fine sheen of sweat broke out over their bodies.

Barry's skin was red and hot under her hand, muscles working and flexing as he filled her driving them toward pleasure, each stroke bringing it closer even as he started to moan himself.

"You feel so good Iris- oh God!"

Barry paused a moment, pulling out to push one of her legs back, hooking her knee over his shoulder.

"Good?"

"Yeah."

He entered her again then working in deeper, grinding hard and fast against her a-spot until she was lost in the pleasure gripping her body. The sweetness of it pulsed outward from her cunt and radiated through her limbs until she was moaning and thrashing in the sheets. Iris forgot everything else save this one exquisite moment, and then it burst, washing over her in wave after wave of pleasure leaving her breathless and panting as each lesser wave pulsed through her and Barry ground out his own climax seconds after hers.

Barry lay atop her, his heart pounding against her chest, elbows bearing most of his weight breathing harsh and ragged in her ear. They lay together a moment the only sounds in the room their ragged breathing as they took in air heavy with the hot musky scent of sex.

 

He kissed her cheek, stroking her hair with one tender hand and she curled around him, wanting suddenly to keep him close.

"Condom." He whispered, with a regretful sigh she relinquished her hold letting him roll away and discard the prophylactic in a nearby wastebasket.

Iris lay catching her breath, savoring the fainter waves of pleasure as they passed through her.

"Do you um'- can we cuddle?" His expression oddly shy and hesitant given everything they'd just shared.

She blinked in surprise but had no real desire to move from this, spot it had been a long day, and her body was much too relaxed.

"Sure, Barry."

He spooned up against her, both of them ignoring the dampness in the sheets. She felt too good to move or think, her body relaxed against Barry, cradled in his warmth.

"You were amazing," he whispered in her ear.

"So were you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> triggers- brief mentions of attempted rape and sexual assault, abortion and suicidal ideation.
> 
> A quick note on the various literature & media references in this chapter.
> 
> -It's Juliet who calls the night black-brown, gentle and loving while she awaits the coming of her lover.
> 
> -Dirty Dancing was one of my favorite movies when I was a teen and I still love it to be honest. I like the idea of Iris having maybe grown up with that movie and reflecting on the fact that she isn't the innocent girl whose story gets told, but the corrupt woman pushed to the back so the innocent girl with a hopeful future can shine. As much as I love Dirty Dancing, I've never cared for that trope.


End file.
